Together
by KidxMaka4eva
Summary: To Be Together, You Have To - Get - Her. When Kid Feels As If His Life Is Falling Apart, He Finds Himself Lost Within The World That's Consuming Him. He Struggles To Get By Due To The Death Of His Mother, But When The Anniversary Of Her Death Stumbles Upon Him, He Stumbles Upon A Girl. A Girl In Which Fascinates Him, He Finds It Hard To Believe That She's Human... T For Violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Together**

_To be **together.** You have **to get her.**_

**Chapter One**

**Death the Kid**

My mother died winter of last year. In distraught and grief over her loss, my father turned to a drink for comfort. Which misleadingly led into one after the other, in which altogether - consumed him.

He's known as the _drunkard_ of Death City. No sympathy shared through people's tone of voice as his name is passed through their mouths. Just a glance with their eyes and a quick smirk on their lips as they laugh at his misery.

Everyone's the same here. They all see each other as _the enemy, _but since my childhood ended I still find it extremely hard to acknowledge how such a small town could be full of so much hatred.

Before my mother passed she explained to me that it had something to do with the towns history. She claimed it to be some kind of curse that caused the town to startle themselves into complete chaos.

But still I could never understand why.

I turned my head to face the window beside me. Snow drifting across the surface of the glass as it hastily drifted through the winter wind.

_ A year tomorrow._ My chin suddenly felt heavier against my palms.

As usual, my history lesson was dragging. My stupid teacher trying to overdose my thoughts with her crappy lecture.

I'm sure it were probably important, and something that I ought to know for future reasons but at that moment in time I had, nor could I be bothered to find the will to care.

I urged to dive through the classroom window and out into winter wonderland that looked and most probably felt like - home. I'd marry the outside world if I could.

Is it sad that a part of me wanted to run home, pick my father up from the floor along with every empty or soon to be empty beer can. I wanted to fix him, as best as I could. But while I were here and he were there, I knew by far he would always be broken.

The words, _'better to have loved and lost...'_ are no match for the pain my father has been driven through, myself included. No man should ever experience something so heart breaking, not like this - not ever.

"Death the Kid," Medusa was suddenly standing directly in front of me. "When did the Death City curse break loose?"

"Nineteen-fifty-three."

Her lips tightened into a thin line as she scowled down towards me. Her eyebrows drawing themselves close together to form the dark set of wrinkles that appeared upon her forehead.

She placed her bony hands against her hips, "that's correct. But in future lessons could you please pay attention?"

"I could..." almost immediately my gaze was drawn back to the window beside me. "But I won't."

Her frown deepened, and her glare grew sharper. But she knew there was no use in arguing back with me, as she knew she would just lose. I had long given up on caring.

"Whatever," she shook her head slowly. "It's your grade, not mine."

Every second I felt myself fading away. "It's your choice of job, not mine."

Annoyed wasn't enough the describe the look of anger and disbelief she had turned back to face me with. Her nostrils flared slightly, her jaw growing tighter with every second she held her tongue and her amber eyes, killing me slowly.

Despite my unneeded so called rebelliousness, the class around me remained silent while I continued to quarrel with the teacher. Surprisingly there were no laughs, cheers or joining in with the conversation, everyone stayed quiet. And it didn't take a genius to figure out it were only because they felt sorry for me.

"Fine," she sighed. "You leave me with no choice but to send you to the head teacher's office."

I was already placing my bag strap on my shoulder. "Even better, I'll go home."

_ Mummy._

"You can't do that," her words were like breaths for fresh air.

"You can't stop me."

_ I'll save dad, mummy._


	2. Chapter 2

**Together**

**Chapter Two**

**Death the Kid**

It were dark as I pushed the front door open. Shadows dancing from corner to corner of the depressingly deserted room, praising the fact that not even did the moon's bright light beam elegantly through the blackening windows.

But it seemed that as I heard the door click shut from behind me, the darkness were eager to swallow me whole and consume me to take part in their dance.

"Dad?" I felt my lips shaking.

I could only hear my hesitant footsteps as they pressed quietly against the carpet. My black DC's growing quieter with every unsteady step I struggled to take.

The room's beer odour stung at my nostrils, causing me to hold my breath as I continued my stumbling approach through the swarm of darkness.

My foot tapped something gently, but with enough force to send it rocking hastily towards the ground.

It hit the carpet with a muffled thud, but still caused myself to startle as the noise was caught by my ears. Although the sound was there, but yet silent, I swore on my life I could feel my heart in my throat.

I bent down towards the toppled over beer bottle that were slowly spilling itself against the carpet, its strong sticky liquid feeding the air with much more of its bitter scent.

Brushing the tips of my fingers against its rim, I felt its icy remains sting against my skin, bringing a slight prick of pain to my flesh as I pulled my hand back towards my warmth.

_ Still cold._

The door to the stairs sat open just in front of me, the darkness continuing to dance its way up the stairs, begging me to chase after it.

I left the bottle, but I fixated my bag up higher on my shoulder, digging my nails into the felt to release an emotion which were either pain or anger.

It had been so long since they meant differently to me.

I walked past my mums chair. The brown leather still stained with her spilled wine and strong perfume that seemed to purposely catch my nose as I stepped past it.

My imagination formed her, sitting there, smiling. Her wine glass resting in her palm as the wine swirled round inside.

Her golden eyes would stare at me along with a smile that lit up every darkened corner around the room, and her teeth would glisten from the drink she'd past through her lips.

_"Kid,"_ she'd say, _"have fun?"_

I breathed deeply, placing my foot on the first step while staring up towards the landing, watching as it all seemed to grow darker.

"Dad?" I called out louder, "are you up here?"

Silence was what remained, nothing besides the thought of my own voice echoing back at me, in which I could tell - it didn't really exist.

The stairs creaked beneath my feet, sounding as if they were so depressed they just longed to crash beneath me. At least I wasn't the only one who wished to give up.

I expected to hear his voice, his slurred words unwillingly passing through his lips. I longed to hear the sound of his stumbling footsteps moving around inside the bathroom.

But my ears were touched with nothing but the sound of silence, and I despised that.

He was broken. He wasn't the same man he used to be. He was vulnerable, and delicate. His skin were like ice and the world around him was summer.

And I believed that it would eventually kill him.

My feet reached the last step. And as they did, the quiet sound of sobbing echoed through the darkness.

The sound itself forced my teeth upon my lower lip.

I stepped towards my fathers slightly opened bedroom door, pausing to take one of the most deepest of breaths I had ever taken.

Prepared to see his bloodshot eyes, smell the beer that rest upon his mouth and hear the words he had been weeping for the last three-hundred and sixty-five days.

_ It's okay dad. _Tears formed in the corner of my eyes. _I'm hurting too._

Digging my nails into the wooden door frame as I struggled to place one foot in front of the other, I breathed again - not wanting to.

"Dad."

And there I saw him. He were on his side, knees huddled towards his chest like he were a child trying to hide from their fears. But I knew well that no fear of his could ever pain him anymore.

Clutched to his chest he held a brown wooden frame that held a photo of no one other than my mother. Her radiant smile and glistening golden eyes staring passionately beyond the camera, towards my father.

And the smell of beer stroked my nose.

"She always wanted to be an artist," he laughed at his own slurred voice. "Did you know that?"

I stepped deeper into the room, "no, I didn't."

He laughed, "it was a dream of hers."

I held my lips closed firmly, refusing to let myself speak another word before I burst into tears. I knew it was okay, but I didn't want to.

"It's a shame, that she never got to achieve it."

My cheeks felt wet, "dad."

His voice cried, "I'll never see her again!"

"Dad!"

Chucking my bag aside, I threw myself to the ground beside him, just in time to grab hold of the picture frame before it left his hands.

"She's gone Kid!"

I wrapped my arms around him, "I know."

His tears splashed against my wrists, "I want her back so, so much!"

"I know..."

I buried my face in his chest, sobbing greatly into his skin as I listened to both him and myself weep throughout the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Together**

**Chapter Three**

**Death the Kid**

Saturday.

My feet wondered aimlessly through the street. They had so eagerly hurried to leave my home that they forced me out into the centre of publicity. Where I mostly despised to be.

The snow crunched beneath my feet with every step I took: each step seeming to last for eternity before I took my next.

My breath floated away in front of me. The crisp air catching it in its grasp before devouring it - forever. Is it wrong I felt powerless against it?

"Hey look," two women glanced in my direction. "Isn't that Kid?"

I gritted my teeth. Both women being the exact reason for why I no longer graced this town with my presence. The reason why I despised every part of my own existence

The other lady nodded towards her friend, "it is."

"Poor boy," lady number one continued with the audible conversation. "His father is such a mess over having lost his wife. The child most be so lonesome without having his mother around."

_ Shut up._

"I wonder how he's doing? His father obviously can't take care of him, let alone take care of himself."

_You know nothing._

"I can't help but feel so sorry for him."

"Then don't." I couldn't hold it in any longer. "I don't want your sympathy!"

Wide eyed; they watched me breathlessly from where they stood. Dumbfounded and frozen to the ground as well as the air around them. Short on lasting breaths and things to say.

"I know my father can't take care of himself. But can you blame him?"

I stuffed my numb fingered hands deeper into my hoody pockets, and breathed out slowly as if the air were barricaded within my lungs. Trying to free it from my body, as well as freeing myself from the feeling of suffocation.

And then I carried on walking, fading my ever existence from the two ladies across the road.

The snow was slippery beneath my shoes, making it hard to maintain my balance and not fall over as I continued my walk down the crowded streets of Death City.

I had to escape.

_"Kid!" My mum's voice echoed up the stairs, "dinner!"_

_ "One sec mum, I'm on the phone!"_

_ She snickered, "suit yourself, I'll give it to the dog!"_

_ "I'm coming!"_

She always did stuff like that. She was beyond humorous, but at the same time - serious about everything she did. Every thought she crept into, made me want to turn back time so eagerly and keep her safe within my arms.

A few more thoughts slipped through my mind, one after the other. But before I were able to fully acknowledge them, I realised I had walked all the way to the library. The only place in this god forsaken town that I didn't hate.

No longer wanting to fight the cold around me, I stepped on in, rushing into the comforting warmth the air brought me as I hurried to the back of the room. And as I placed my back against the back wall - leaning on it like my last support was wavering - I already felt more belonged than I ever had before.

~o~0~o~

My fingertips brushed against the spines of every book I walked past. Feeling every tattered or newly placed cover that wrapped itself around a story that had yet to be burned within my memories.

By now the receptionist had asked me if I required any help at least three times - and every time I was tempted to reply with whether they meant mentally or physically - but I just declined their assistance.

Secretly I was just hiding until I felt the courage as well as the strength to begin my journey home. With every glance outside, I new everything that existed out there could somehow break me. So for that moment, I decided it would be best to wither away inside.

Children giggled from the entrance, both excited and impatient as they could no longer fight the urge to run to the beanbags. They jumped in amusement from one beanbag to the next, with nothing but the gleam of joy and youth marked upon their cold bitten cheeks.

Oh how I longed to show them the existence of depression, and teach them the feeling of fear and emotionless pain. I'd smack the happiness from their faces and replace it with eyes that gleamed with tears beneath the midnight moon.

Their mum quickly shushed them into silence, and like a moth to a flame, they were drawn to obey her. Their big childish eyes watching their tall elegant mother with eyes of admiration and the desire to be her. Like the only reason they agreed to tag along was to learn every move she made.

I bit hold of my lip, "cherish your mum, okay kids?"

I was inaudible to them. They were so drugged up with the need to be older that everything around them was just suddenly a background. Just an old toy that waited to be damaged even more. And I was part of that.

My favourite book rested beneath my fingertips. _Stephen King's: The shinning. _I had already read it six or seven times, but as I saw it on the shelf once again, the urge to read it one last time was scratching at the back of my skull.

It felt strong beneath my fingertips, powerful even. Every line and every word wanting to ink itself up and down my arm as I gripped it fully in my palm. And as I held it - I remembered every memory I had of reading it.

The days when my mother still existed. The day she handed it to me on my fourteenth birthday with that wide toothy smile and gleaming eyes that shimmered with pure and utter happiness.

I put it down.

My lips trembled with the urge to weep on the library floor, but as I gripped them with my teeth, I felt every single one of my emotions fall into my clenched fists.

Everything was pinching at my knuckles, as well as my nails pinching at my palms. The anger and frustration that had built up over the year I had strived by myself. The pain I wanted to unleash out on myself as well as others - I could feel it burning beneath my skin.

To the point I couldn't control it anymore.

_Mummy!_

I threw myself forward, fist at the ready. Every ounce of anger piercing in my knuckles as I aimed my hit towards the window overlooking the outside. I was beyond ready to bleed.

But before my fist came in contact with the glass, my eyes were drawn to the girl standing outside.

Her scared green eyes - locked with mine.

My chest burst and imploded with beauty, displaying vibrant colours of purity like splatters of ink staining my ribcage. I was being consumed by a bright light in which opened up inside of me, gripping on tightly to every shaken nerve that were raging inside my body as well as blinding me from every bad thing that ever existed around me.

Nothing hurt anymore.

Her long blonde hair hanging past her shoulders and tickling at her collarbone, with a fringe that sat just above those emerald defying eyes, like they longed to hide an enormous amount of beauty.

But still she stared at me. Deeply - her sad eyes watched me as my fist inched closer to the glass I destined to shatter.

My knuckles brushed against the glass. The cold melting my rage and at the same time - the barrier to my pain.

And as my closed eyes squeezed out the trickle of tears I'd been dying to release from the moment I awoke, I immediately felt like a river flooded the window before me as it escaped my suffocating body.

_Mum. I could've saved you._

When I finally released the tight grip on my eyelids, daylight steamed up the salty water that rested in my eye sockets. But as I looked to the empty space in front of the window, a whole new kind of depression seized hold of me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Together**

**Chapter Four**

**Death the Kid**

Monday at school. Halfway through second period. I sat on one of the benches in the school parking lot. Snow floating delicately from the clouded sky, wishing to get to the ground and rest easy as if the sky itself was so surely suffocating.

I didn't know why they were in such a hurry. It wasn't much better down here anyway.

Despite the cold winter air, I sat there in a black t-shirt. My biceps sneaking out the sleeves and displaying themselves to the world as if they were of some importance.

My arms were what supported me as I rested against my thighs. My back arched as I leant forwards to stare at the icy cold ground. A young, pale boy with golden eyes and black hair staring back at me as if he lived down there in the depths of melting snow.

"You'll catch a terrible cold." The sound of Medusa's voice crept up from behind me.

"I don't care."

The bench creaked as she sat down beside me. "You don't now anyway."

She popped open her cigarette box and pulled one out, eager to place it to her lips. She didn't hesitate before clicking her lighter to light it's end. But as the wind caught hold of it's flame, it burned out.

I heard her curse beneath her breath and click it once more. Resting the box on her lap she covered the flame with her palm, lighting it's end once more.

I watched her from the corner of my eyes, taking lugs like her life depended on it. And judging by the way she held back her head to exhale out the smoke - I could see that her life did.

She waved it beside me. "Want one?"

"I don't think teachers are supposed to be handing out drugs to their students."

"Well," another lug. "I'd hardly call you a student, Kid."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why, am I being expelled?"

"Well," ash melted the snow beneath her. "I'd like you to consider it as a long term vacation."

I tried to fight the urge to smirk - I really did. "So I'm being expelled."

"I tried to prevent it Kid. I promise I did."

As I turned to face her, I saw the look of concern she had for my well being. Her amber eyes looking as if they were filled with worry but at the same time regret. Like she knew there was something more she could've done.

I chuckled. "Oh well, it's not the worst thing to happen to me."

She remained silent. Her cigarette decaying ash as the wind picked up around us. The snow melting as the ash singed against it's icy surface, creating more puddles of meaningless water.

"It is cold, isn't it?" I asked.

She nodded, lugging once more on her cigarette.

I smiled. "I haven't felt cold like this in a long time."


	5. Chapter 5

**Together**

**Chapter Five**

**Maka**

"You worthless piece of crap!" He gripped me by my shoulder and threw me to the wooden floorboards. "Are you not good for anything?"

I yelped as my fragile body came into contact with the cold hard floor. Pain shunning tears to form in the corner of my eyes.

"I give you food and a home and you can't even perform the simplest tasks!"

I cowered away into my own palms, salty water dripping from my eyelashes and splashing against my skin. And the worst part - once they had begun to stream down my cheeks, I had no idea how to get them to stop.

His voice grew louder. "And now you're crying? You pathetic child."

The wood scratched at my bare legs. Picking at my skin as I tried my hardest to push myself away from him. Wanting to escape every terrifying word or hit he was about to throw at me. But as I laid their quivering, the hit never came.

"I'll have to go get it myself then." His shoes echoed slowly away from me. "Don't you dare move."

I was utterly terrified to remove my hands from my face. I didn't believe him, I believed that he was still somewhere in the house, gun in hand - ready to shoot my brains out.

The door slammed shut, vigorously shaking the whole house along with it. Chills screaming up and down my spine as the vibrations caused my heart to tremble.

My fingers automatically parted themselves, causing my eyes to light up from the flickering fire that stuttered in the fireplace. The orange burning flames screaming at me to run with every last bit of strength that existed inside of me.

I knew he wouldn't be long, so I hurriedly picked myself up from the creaking floorboards and darted round to face the window. And to my luck - he had left it open.

My surroundings seemed to crowd in on me, growing closer as if they wished me to free them. But as I placed my hand on the handle, I could already taste my own freedom on the edge of my lips.

And it tasted heavenly.

I pushed the window open wider, feeling the piercing cold air bite at my cheeks as the wind smacked into my face. It raced past me and flickered at the fire, which was helplessly trying to remain lit.

_You'll be fine._

As I climbed up onto the window ledge, my shorts tugged at my thighs. Pinching my skin as if it were warning me to climb back down.

But I didn't listen, I pushed myself up onto my knees and leant forward to stare at the icy ground that rested beneath the second floor window. I had no fear of the height as it stared back at me, my only fear was the ice beneath me.

The door slammed open, "one last thing..."

And now that.

"What the hell are you doing?" His eyes raged with anger, "get down!"

_ Jump._

My nails scratched at the window frame in fear, quickly turning back round to face the ground below me. Watching the ice shimmer in order to greet me with it's biting surface.

"I mean it!" He stormed from the door way - fists clenched.

_Now._

My grip slid from the window frame, my hands reaching out in front of me as I felt gravity pull me off the ledge. And within seconds, I could feel nothing but the empty space of air rushing past me as I fell towards the icy ground.

I hadn't noticed the branch beneath the window, it's sharp edges twisting and sticking out in every direction as I fell towards it. And it hurt - a lot. It had sliced at my side, cutting open my waste.

Once again I yelped in pain, hitting the icy solid ground and cutting open several other parts of my body as shards of ice ripped at my flesh. Blood, dripping from every part of my body.

Pain couldn't describe what I was feeling, it was beyond excruciating. I felt deadly. Like a sinner. I was being punished for a crime I had never committed. This was still my ticket to freedom.

I just prayed that no one was around to see me fall from such a height and survive.

I winced, slightly opening my eyes. And as I did - I saw the empty window above me, remaining wide open, which gave me my signal to move - quickly.

My legs shook rapidly as I pushed myself up. Blood running down my shins as well as my stomach, staining both my red converse and the snow I stood on. I believed I were still able to run - I needed to.

I dashed into the woods beside the house, dead leaves and snow crunching beneath my shoes as I stammered with every step. But with every time I thought I would fall, I grasped onto a tree beside me - staining it's trunk with splatters of blood from my bleeding palms.

Freedom was all I prayed for.


	6. Chapter 6

**Together**

**Chapter Six**

**Death the Kid**

I ran as fast as I could through the darkening forest. My black DC's slamming hard against the dirt swept ground, holding my weight as I continued to throw myself forward into the eerie woods.

With the moon shimmering greatly from the blackening sky, I had never felt more alive. Feeling the pressure of the forced wind hammer against my cheeks, and the strands of my hair tangle themselves together.

Why was I running? I honestly had no idea anymore. Something inside told me it were best to run from my troubles, than to face them head on. I just wasn't the strong and independent boy that had a mother anymore. I was so far from that.

The sky was my best friend. My only friend. It gave me light, peace and was there when I needed it the most. Although I could never repay a debt to the moon, there was no reason for it to care.

My right hand gripped at the tree beside me. My palm wrapping round it's long thin trunk that stood only inches higher than myself. And I let myself fall forward.

Trusting the weight of the bark in my grasp, I leaned to the side and let myself swiftly spin round it, again - and again. For that moment, it felt outstanding to feel gravity take over the whole of my body.

The snow crunched and slipped from beneath my shoes, causing me to find myself sliding around the trunk. But still every sound and movement around me was like it were created for me at that very moment.

And then there was a thud.

Startled by it I span around urgently, dropping grip of the trunk from beside me. But before I could take notice of my last sudden steps, the ground was already sliding from beneath me.

"Crap!" I exclaimed trying to throw myself forward to regain my balance.

But I threw myself forward with too much force, causing my weight to fall in front of me, letting myself tumble towards the snow covered ground before I had time to grasp the trunk once more.

I fell to my knees.

_ What the hell?_

Pain struck at my ankle. Creating waves of agonising sensations to flow up and down my leg. It was inexplicable to describe the pain I was experiencing in that moment.

My eyes watered greatly, causing everything around me to blur into a mist of a different dimension. Shadows defying darkness like they were nor ever had been controlled by lights disappearance.

And it was then.

A shadow moved from beside me. Not a branch nor an animal, but what first came across to me as something much smaller. It looked like it could've quivered, struck by pain just as I was.

I turned my head to face it, just being able to see it's figure through my blurry vision. It wasn't that much smaller than I was, but it were small. I could see it's two green sparkling eyes that seemed to stare back at me, just beneath what I could make out to be a messy blonde fringe.

It were human.

"Oh god," I rubbed at my eyes, trying to drain away the blur. "Are you okay?"

There was no reply, which caused me to slightly worry. Causing me to feel afraid about the figures motionlessness. What if they were seriously hurt?

I asked again, and then pressed myself to move closer, inching towards the still shadow in some way hoping that my presence would startle it.

I placed my hand on their shoulder, "hey."

Abrupt they threw themselves away from my approach, distancing the gap between us an extra two feet.

"I won't hurt you."

It were a girl. Green eyes. Blonde hair. And my god she were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my entire existence.

From the look on her face I knew she were terrified, her eyes watered and widened with every breath I took before her. Like she were afraid I'd proceed closer.

I wanted to calm her down, "what's your name?"

Still no answer dared to cross between her tightly sealed lips. She remained to hold her breath still, like she were afraid of gasping for breath once a word had left her mouth.

Her cheeks were swamped in dirt and water droplets from the melted snow. She had obviously been running, since she still remained struggling to catch her breath. It were that or she was so genuinely terrified.

"Are you hurt?"

She stayed frozen, fixated against the snow covered ground. Her bare hands buried deep beneath the icy whiteness that continued to fall from the sky.

But she weren't reacting towards it. Surely she would feel somewhat frozen and that her skin were beginning to sting. But there were no signs of irritation nor pain whatsoever.

And then I saw the oozing redness seeping out from her side, staining the white ground which she sat against.

"You look like you're hurt."

She didn't even bother to turn to face her injury, nor did she react to the amount of blood she were losing. But still she remained to watch me intensely, as if she were to take her eyes off me for a moment, I would pounce like she were my prey.

I grabbed my scarf from around my neck, "here, let me help you."

Once more she slipped from my reaching grasp, backing away towards the centre of the forest. More snow seeming to grip at her bare thighs.

_ What's wrong with this girl?_

I frowned, "will you at least take my jacket?"

She shook her head ferociously.

"You'll freeze otherwise!"

Her lips were shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't help but feel pained as I watched her try to bite hold of her lips to pull them to a stop. But with a great deal of effort, she did anything but succeed.

"I promise," my eyes met hers so lustfully. "I want to do anything, but hurt you."

And for the moment she were staring at me so frightened like, her eyes seemed to send waves of a different emotion towards my own. There was something about her eyes, that was almost inhuman.

My hand reached out towards her, my fingers inches away from her knee. "Do you trust me?"

Slowly - her head nodded.

_ I need to help her._

"Can you stand?"

She looked around her, from the wound at her waist, to her hands buried beneath the snow, and finally to her red tattered converse.

And slowly she pushed herself up. Snow crashing to the ground once it detached itself from her shorts.

She wobbled slightly from left to right, her feet stepping back several steps as she tried her hardest to remain her balance.

I reached out to grab her, "careful!"

Due to my sudden movement she were caught startled and forced herself to throw the distance between us much greater, throwing herself backwards into another heap of snow.

My hands were raised out in front of me, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Her eyes winced with pain as she quickly gripped at her waste, wanting to stop the blood pouring from her side. But as soon as her icy skin were thrown against the wound, a small cry exhaled through her mouth.

"Please be careful!"

Suddenly she froze, her eyes as wide as they were before, but this time she were so far from _just terrified. _It were like she was afraid of everything around her, myself included.

She threw her head and half of her body from side to side, like she were urgently trying to gasp for breath from a different direction.

My breath stammered, "w-what is it?"

This time she threw herself forwards, darting between the trees beside me while kicking up the snow from behind her. I had never seen someone move so fast - ever.

"Wait!"

Despite the pain that still remained in my ankle, I chased after her, also dodging passed the same trees as she did. Both of us running deeper into the forest.

"Where are you going?"

But of course, she wouldn't answer me back. She just kept on running further and further without wanting to look back at who were chasing behind her.

_ Why is she running?_

I could hear her sharp hesitant breaths from just behind her, every breath she took seemed to tie in with the steps she slammed against the ground, snow splashing against her thighs.

It had only just occurred to me that she were wearing clothes that were so unsuited to the given weather. It made me think about where she had just appeared from and I couldn't help but think that she must have left somewhere - urgently.

The moon shimmered from icicles that clung to tree branches. Defying gravity while pointing towards the ground, wanting to shatter the snow that rested beneath it. Creating an end to its own icy relation.

"Stop..." My hand reached out towards her.

Every inch of my body longed for her to stop running. My own heartbeat were racing along with each step she were taking in front of me. Like it could somehow catch up to her all by itself.

Her hair flicked behind her neck, brushing itself against my skin and tangling itself slightly with my fingertips. I could almost feel her completely in my grasp.

Slight whimpers escaped her lips as she ran on ahead of me, scared breathes quivering through her mouth. I knew from just running along behind her that something had caused her to feel frightened, I just didn't know what it was.

Bushes rustled from behind me, causing my heartbeat to race faster, fear breaking loose in my stomach at that very moment. I could hardly hear my own thoughts in my mind, there were only the sound of imagining footsteps chasing along behind me.

"Hey!"

Her shoulder was held tightly within my grasp.

Once realised she were unwillingly pulled to a stop, her breath were officially clasped on top of her tongue, resting at the inside of her gripped teeth.

Tears trembled in her eyes, the moonlight beaming from the sky to reflect from her watery iris's. And then the tears bled down her face like rain were all that were left of her.

The sadness in her eyes created sadness in my own. "Why are you...?"

"Maka...?" A voice crept up from behind me. "There you are!"

I didn't turn to face them, I just saw straight away from the watered reflection in her eyes that whoever they were, she wanted anything but to see them.

"Thank you so much for finding her."

Slowly, I proceeded to turn round. More snow crunching beneath my shoes as I did so.

And I could have sworn that as I fully faced away from the sobbing blue eyed girl, she tugged at the back of my jacket, gripping the leather tightly in her tiny fist.

A man, he smiled at me. "I owe you one, boy."

His hair was grey and slicked back with what I could only explain as 'with too much gel.' His face were thin and bony and not to mention pale, like he had never seen such a thing as sunlight.

And he too, wore clothes like he were rushing to go somewhere. I had assumed that this girl had ran away from him and he had chased after her, while wearing his extremely formal suit and tie with matching trousers and black shoes.

The word _snob _kept screaming itself inside my mind.

Her grip grew tighter.

"Uh..." my words stumbled at my lips. "I think she needs to go to the hospital."

The man frowned, "why is that?"

There was something about him that was utterly terrifying, I couldn't help but understand completely why she had run away from him.

"Because she's injured, badly."

He looked past me, trying to glimpse at the girls waste. He strained his eyes slightly as he did so, like he were struggling greatly to find a place that I had claimed her to be wounded.

He already knew she was injured.

He shrugged his broad shoulders, "she looks okay to me."

"Okay...?" My eyes widened greatly, "she's losing..."

The wound were gone. As I had turned to face her side where blood remained to pour, there was no longer the throbbing wound against her flesh.

"What...?"

"Okay Maka," he rolled his dark eyes, "you need to come with me now."

She whimpered, grabbing on tighter to my jacket as several more tears escaped her wincing eyes. I felt myself paining greatly at the sight of her silent cry for help. I somewhat knew I could save her.

I swallowed what felt like my last ever breath. "I don't think she wants to go with you, sir."

"Excuse me?" His eyes raged with flames, "who are you to say what she does and doesn't want?"

"You think she wants to go with you?" I felt my anger grow as well as his. "Do you really?"

He sighed, stepping closer. "Move boy, I don't need this."

As he moved so did I. I held my arms out beside me to shield her weakened body, promising myself that I wouldn't let him lay a finger on her. My brain knew I didn't know her, but my heart knew she were worth dying for.

"I won't let you touch her."

A gasp escaped her lips from behind me.

The man before me stepped closer, "please, you don't even know the girl."

I gritted my teeth. "I think I know her well enough to tell that she wants nothing to do with you."

The sleeves of my jacket gripped on tightly to my arms as she locked her fist full of leather. I prayed that she'd never let go.

The man - his eyes grew wider.

"Big mistake, boy."

My eyes couldn't move fast enough. But I caught a slight glimpse of the man's hand striking the side of my face. And I most certainly felt it.

And I saw him grab her, as I hit the ground. Her struggling movements to pull herself from him, but she couldn't fight back.

I was frozen in the snow. As well as I was defeated.


	7. Chapter 7

**Together**

**Chapter Seven**

**Death the Kid**

"Expelled?" Soul's eyes widened, "you're shitting me."

Slowly I moved my index finger around the rim of my glass. "I shit you not."

"What did your dad say?"

I turned to face the blond haired boy beside me, my eyebrows raised to question his question.

He bit his lip. "I'm guessing not a lot."

With every sip of coke I chugged down my throat, the wound that bound itself against my lip stung vigorously. Wanting to repel the liquid from my mouth and starve me of everything until it faded.

Soul noticed my pain. "You said some guy hit you?"

"Yeah," I placed my glass down beside me. "I didn't even know him."

Due to my last little bit of added information, Soul looked shocked and somewhat disappointed. He tried to avert his eyes away from me, but as soon as he were able to, he just looked right back at me with the same expression.

"Kid?" He asked.

I turned to face him.

"Have you been drinking?"

"What?"

He sighed deeply. "I know it's all been extremely hard for you, and suddenly being expelled is now on top of it. But drinking isn't the way to solve it."

"You think I was drunk?" My frustration came out in a chuckle. "Screw you."

His red eyes widened in shock due to my sudden outburst. Despite the humour in my voice, he knew how angry he had made me. Which caused him to feel slightly conscious about the next thing that would pass my lips.

I gripped hold of my hair. "I'm not my dad, okay?"

"I know," he was scared. "I'm sorry I even said that."

I sighed, "last night was so weird though."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really, what happened?"

My head spun slightly, remembering the night before was quite a challenge due to the hit that guy had landed on me. My struggle seemed to back up Soul's theory. Holding my head in my own hands as if I had some major hangover.

"I met this girl."

Already, I had his attention.

"She was terrified of something, and I had no idea what it was."

He stopped me halfway. "What was her name?"

"She didn't say." I shook my head, "in fact she didn't saying anything."

He sat back on my bed, his hands buried in his lap and his eyebrows narrowed in concern.

I rubbed my head violently. "This guy... was chasing her, or something. And when he found her, she grabbed hold of me."

"Really?" A smiled approached his lips. "Even strangers go after you."

My eyes told him I wasn't amused by his remark. "She was petrified of this guy."

He took his glass in hand, and swigged it down. "What did you do?"

"I refused to let him have her." I remembered it all so clearly. "She didn't want to go with him so I demanded she didn't."

That same eyebrow raise. "So he hit you and took her?"

For some reason it pained me a great deal to think about where he took her, what he did to her and whether or not if she was okay. It made me angry and made me wish that I had tried harder to protect her from whoever he was.

"Maka..." I whispered. "Her name was Maka."

~o~0~o~

The wooden floorboards creaked beneath my feet, and at the same time birds chirped in the treetops as they fled from the shaking branches and raced for the setting sun in the distance.

I sat in the tree house both me and my dad built when I was ten years of age. Six years later, I can hardly understand as to why it's still sitting in the same old tree - in the middle of the forest.

We attempted to make it the best tree house ever made. There was a balcony with rails and the ladder to get up and down. And built to the balcony, there was the tree house itself - remaining to stand strong and tall even though birds nests and spider webs tried to consume it.

I came here everyday after my mother had died. I'd bring my ipod and on a few occasions even a sleeping bag. This was the place where I felt safe as well as alive. Home was meaningless to me.

I picked my earphones out from my hoody pockets, placing each of them in my ears before I leaned back on the rails to overlook the forest. Watching everything on the ground as well waiting for everything and anything to fly through the dimming sky.

_The Killers _played in my ears. Guitars, drums and even _Brandon Flowers' _voice sounding as if they were with me in that moment, playing towards and then throughout the night, one song after the other.

I breathed deeply. Feeling the winter air enter and quickly escape inside my lungs, wanting to stop breathing altogether and possibly fall from these rails and never even waken again.

The wind tugged at my hair, tying strands around the wire of my earphones as if it forced it to pluck itself from my eardrum. Then all I could hear was half of _Brandon Flowers _as well as the wind above the tree tops, and the quivering branches.

But then there was something in the distance. A sound so terrifyingly calming, it caused me to remove both my earphones and let them hang from around my neck.

The wind kept attempting to drown it away from the forest itself. Like it weren't worthy of being heard for any longer than a few seconds. So I stood still, I closed my eyes, and I held my breath - waiting.

It would come again, I asked for it. I waited for what felt like minutes, holding my eyes closed and breathing slowly - focusing on every existing thing around me.

And then I heard it.

A wolf howling. It were quite loud, which meant it wasn't far away from where I was right then. But even though I should have been, I was no were near terrified.

I smiled. "Wolves in Death City aye?"

Two of them were howling against the wind. The moon gleaming down on earth itself to brighten up every darkened corner of despair within my forest. The moon was still my best friend, and I had to repay it for lighting up every direction I walked in.

I walked to the tree house behind me, walking over to the door and not wasting any time to open it, I just walked on in, entering a room that were filled with memories than a person's average life. I grew up in here.

I sat on the floor, leaning against the wooden door, whilst looking around at the dusty corners and splitting cushions. Everything that was used to make the most perfect memory, was gradually pulling itself into the pit of despair.

Every single memory that was created in that tree house. Was now complete and utter meaningless.


	8. Chapter 8

**Together**

**Chapter Eight**

**Death the Kid**

I picked up every beer can that I found around the house. Half full or not - I didn't care. If I found it, I tossed it in the bin. Some cans were still skin piercingly cold, which angered me a great deal due to the fact that it was eight in the morning.

My father slept somewhere in his room, most likely on the bedroom floor surrounded by more empty beer cans after spending his night trying to drown away his sorrows in alcohol - like every single night that went by.

As I walked past the living room mirror, I couldn't prevent myself from glaring at my reflection. Staring back at that pale faced, golden eyes boy whose black hair had now grown down past their ears. But for the first time in two years - it didn't bother him.

I stared at the scabbed over cut that were bound upon my mouth. It remained swollen the next few days after I were hit, it stung violently as well as continued to remind me of the danger I let that girl get into.

She had tugged on my jacket, she had tugged it so hard because she desperately didn't want to be left alone with that monster of a man. I had no idea what kind of relation he had to her, but there was no possible way that I cared.

She was so beautiful.

The girl from the library.

The girl from the forest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Together**

**Chapter Nine**

**Maka**

He had locked me in the basement the next day. Every window and door locked and latched from both the inside as well as the outside. I was barricaded to the ground floor of the house, locked beneath the ground he walked on, with no light source other than a candle and two matches.

In mockery he had thrown a kitchen knife down the stairwell and told me to '_go nuts,' _just simply because he knew I couldn't properly harm myself. I was just his little experiment in the past, the one he used to test anything and everything.

The ground stung cold at my thighs, piercing my skin with the shooting pain of frozen lust for more. I sat there, staring into the eerie corners of the room. Where I remembered everything since I was a little child, and the days where he had kept me down here like an animal.

But that was before I had changed.

I took hold of the knife room beside me, placing my fingertips against the freezing silver blade. One by one I ran them across the edge, feeling the soothing pain as my skin split beneath it. Watching the drips of blood stream down my palm and to my wrist.

As I removed my fingers from the blade, I watched them intensely, waiting for the blood to throb and stop running from the open wounds. Which I despised, due to the fact that it was such an amazing colour.

But then it started. My skin slowly begun to pull itself together, squeezing away the last ounce of blood that were in the way. My flesh collided, leaving behind nothing more than just tiny pink lines against the tips of my fingers. It were like the wounds were never marked upon my skin.

I threw the knife to the side, hearing it clank loudly in the darkness of the room.

Standing up as it echoed, my fists clenched with anger and pure hatred. My nails could split open my palms, but there'd be no way it would make an effect on me. I'd just bleed a little.

My blood was pumping with adrenaline as well another kind of fury, a fury I hadn't experienced in a long time and didn't know whether or not if I were able to control it. But at that moment in time, I could no where near care.

I threw myself into the wall behind me, crashing into shelves of nails and screws. Everyone of them clanking as it hit the floor, bouncing from the concrete just to hit the ground again.

My body fell to the floor in agony, but just before I could lose strength altogether I pushed myself from the ground and darted up the staircase.

I raced hard, slamming my body into the wooden door at the top of the stairs, feeling the locks on the other side hit me to a stop. But they couldn't stop me there.

Shoulder first I crashed into it again, feeling the ground shake as it refused to open once again. I continued slamming myself against it, repeatedly smashing my palms against the wood as if that would make a single difference.

I screamed in fury. Kicking, slamming and punching at the barricading door that held my exit. And I refused to drop my attempt until it budged, whether or not he could hear me and longed for me to shut up. I would not rest.

My ribs snapped inside me. Cracking against the inside of my flesh and forcing out a cry of pain. Snapping one by one until they were all lined in their inhuman way.

Despite the pain, I banged harder on the door. Slamming my fists so desperately into the wood as if my pleading were the only way to solve my problem. But when there was no reply on the other side - my frustration broke loose inside me.

I shook rapidly from left and right, screaming in pain as the animal inside of me grabbed it's hold on my every nerve. Trying it's hardest to shed my skin from my weakened body and steal me for it's own urgent needs to destroy.

But I wasn't given up.

My nails viciously clawed at the wood in front of me, shedding shards like skin and watching as they fell the floor. My nails scratched down to my fingers, splitting open and dripping blood within the seconds I remained changing.

The stench of blood stung at my nostrils, forcing the animal inside me to turn in every existing direction. And when I couldn't control that - it aggravated me even more.

I raced back down the stairs, throwing myself into walls all around me. Smashing picture frames, wood and feeling the shards of the destruction stab me in the balls of my feet. More blood draining itself from my quivering veins.

My screaming voice was all I could hear and now I was turning into this monster - I wished for the human side of me to shut up. I wanted to rip her throat from her pathetic little body and splatter her blood against the walls.

But I was unable to cause myself harm.

I was unable to control myself at all.

And he stood at the top of the stairs - laughing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Together**

**Chapter Ten**

**Death the Kid**

_Bryan Adams _played throughout the shop, his voice enlightening every corner of the room to hide from darkness, even though no one acknowledged it just as I did. That's just what made me different from everyone else.

I walked over to the fridge of drinks at the end of the aisle. Showing no hesitation to open it and grip hold of of a purple _Rockstar, _feeling the cans icy skin sting at my palm as I gripped it tighter.

As I walked over to the cashier, I couldn't help but notice the TV above her as it caught my attention. Drawing me into every word the TV presenter let loose from his lips.

"...A witness claims that he saw one, on Monday morning. We got in touch with him to question him about what it was, he saw exactly..."

An old man, glasses hanging low on his button nose and hair as dark as night. He seemed as if he were struggling to believe his own words.

"It was a wolf." He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. "Brown fur and the bluest eyes I had ever seen."

I put the can down in front of the cashier, but she too was busy watching the news take place on the screen above her. Her grey eyes fixated to the screen as if it were all that existed to her.

The old man continued. "I kept thinking, 'this is it, this is where I die.' But it didn't attack, it just watched me, with those sad, green eyes."

The cashier turned to face me. Her smile beaming from her rosy cheeks. "Scary isn't it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Not really."

Her bleached blonde hair was tied back in a pony. Thin and straight hanging gracefully down her back and tickling at her neck. Unlike most girls in this generation, she didn't cake herself in make-up. I suppose that's what she thought made her unique.

"Two people have already been attacked in the past week."

Now she had my attention. "Really, where?"

"Down by Death City bridge." She nudged her head in the direction of the incident. "One's torn to pieces and the other one... well, they're dead."

"You sure know how to brighten someone's morning." I handed her a pound, "keep the change."

"Jee, thanks."

As I stepped outside the store, I clicked it open, watching as it fizzed over the rim and spilt against my fingers. Staining my skin with pure cold and stickiness.

I placed an earphone in my ear, gracefully rewarding myself with the presence of music as I stepped out into the car park. The white truck was just on the other side of the road, all I had to do was walk quickly.

And avoid the group of girls that were starting to approach me from my right. All three of them sneaking up on me like I was just their helpless prey they had planed to seduce.

I walked faster.

"Kid, babe!" Kim called out to me, "wait up!"

I pretended I didn't hear her, I just continued walking towards the dirt swamped truck both me and my father called a car. But she knew I heard her ratty little voice, due to the fact she kept calling out to me, over and over, in the same - annoying - tone.

"What do you want, Kim?" Aggravated, I turned to face her.

Her face was more tanned than the sun itself and her lips were bright and pink like she pranced around the town expecting someone to grab her and kiss her - hard. Her green eyes were big with mascara, like branches sprouting from her iris's themselves, turning in all sick and twisted directions.

And then there was her hair. Bright like the girl's from the shop. But while hers was elegantly tied back, Kim's hung loose around her shoulders and hair sprayed evenly around her hideous face.

She smiled. "I haven't seen you around school lately, I hope you're alright."

"Cut your shit," I rolled my eyes. "What do you really want?"

She seemed shocked. "What, can't a girl enjoy the company of a friend?"

"We're not friends."

She placed her hand on her slim waist, leaning on her right as she stared up at me seductively. "We'd be great together Kid."

"Nope," I took a gulp of _Rockstar. _"I don't think so."

The terrible twins nodded by her side. "We do."

I turned to my truck. "Yeah, but I hardly class you as people."

The three of them gasped in unison as I turned away, followed by the sound of their heels patting against the ground as they chased after me.

"Kid!" Kim exclaimed. "That's horrible!"

I opened the truck door. "That's what the midwife said to your mother."

Another gasp escaped their pink painted lips, and their eyes widened so much their branch like eyelashes were stabbing into their forehead.

"Can you move?" I asked. "You're blocking my truck."

Kim's jaw strengthened. Her mouth positioned into a long thin line as she glared at me, staring me down whilst I climbed into the driver's seat of my truck, and acted as if she no longer existed.

Her smile returned and she flicked her hair. "There's a party," she leaned her arms on the rim of my window. "Saturday night, Death City bridge, be there?"

I turned to face her, smile at the ready. "Will you be there?"

"It depends..." She leaned closer in the window, her breasts resting on the door. "Do you want me to be there?"

I started the engine. "Of course not."

As I pressed my foot down, the car drove forward. Forcing both Kim and the terrible twins to stumble backwards in there heels, with dumbfounded faces as they watched me pull my truck from the car park.

"Screw you Kid!" Even her yell was just as patronising. "You have no idea what you're missing."

I spun the wheel round. "Pretty sure I don't wanna know..."


	11. Chapter 11

**Together**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Maka**

I lay in the shards of my destruction. Glass surrounding my human, naked body. Which was once covered in dry blood and pink lines, from where cuts once reined over my flesh.

My head throbbed violently, sending strikes of pain from the top of my head and down to the back of my neck. Everything seeming as if it were the first time I had ever been in such a great deal of agony.

I attempted to move my legs. But as I did, large amounts of glass sliced at my flesh, tearing open my skin. And although it bled an unbelievable amount of blood - I was unable to find the will to care. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it did.

Cold pinched at my cheeks, biting my skin over and over as if trying to get me to react. Even when I pushed myself to sit up, the cold seized hold of me and tried to consume me whole.

So I just sat there - motionless. Staring at the mess the animal inside me had created. Looking round at every childhood memory that was now crushed and smashed into dust, spread out across the basement floor.

I tried so hard to not let it anger me.

His footsteps moved around above me. The sound of his shoes tapping against the floorboards with every scheming step he took around the house. Every single one of them - sent shivers up my spine.

The image of him standing at the top of the staircase sickened me. The thought of him laughing as I struggled to remain whatever last little control I had. My bones snapping and my body trembling, and he was there - watching everything I did.

Correction. What that animal - did.

I lifted my arms to my breasts, trying to cover most of my exposed skin. But due to my little arms and hands, it wasn't going quite the way I had planed it.

Wobbling slightly, I pushed myself to stand up. Quickly stepping past the broken shards of glass and wood, making my way towards the deserted staircase, in hope that maybe he had left me something to wear.

When the animal had changed me, it had ripped my clothes from my body, and torn them to shreds. They had become nothing more and nothing less than just part of the destruction on the basement floor. And I had become vulnerable and lost.

I was cold and in pain.

He could see me at any moment.

I had destroyed every happy memory that existed to me.

I wanted to die.

Jeans and a shirt were left hanging over the rails of the staircase.


	12. Chapter 12

**Together**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Death the Kid**

The sound of my father walking down the stairs shook the house vigorously. With every footstep he took, I was worried he wasn't going to take a next, but at the same time - I was worried he was going to walk into the living room.

He stepped into the daylight, wincing as if the light was burning him from the outside inwards. He raised his hand to block it as if it would make a difference, and prevent it from staining his pale frozen skin.

I gripped both curtains tightly in my hands, pulling the both of them together in order to shut both me and my father in complete and utter darkness.

He lowered his hand. "Why aren't you at school?"

"I got kicked out." I chugged a mouthful of coke, "remember?"

His eyebrows rose. "You didn't tell me."

"Yes I did."

"I would've remembered."

I shrugged my shoulders. "You were hammered?"

"Well that was stupid." He placed his hands to his head, "should have told me when I was sober."

My coke overspilled as I slammed the glass down beside me. "And when would that have been, dad?"

Wide eyed; he stared at me. Shock written across every bloodshot vein he held within his dark eyes.

"You've been drunk for a year straight now!" I threw myself to my feet. "When the hell was I supposed to tell you?"

He rubbed his head nervously. "I've not been that bad... I mean I drink a few."

"A few?" I questioned, "a fucking few!"

Due to my raise in voice, he forced his hands over his ears, terrified of hearing the loud, angered words I was ready to spit from my lips. And I was beyond ready to say every single one of them.

"I got kicked out of school because of you!" I inched towards him. "All I could think about was having to come home and take care of your sorry ass!"

His eyes glistened with tears, the last of sunlight seeping in through the curtains and shimmering greatly on his orb like eyes. Though even though it should have - it brought me no sympathy towards him within the situation.

I shook my head slowly. "Mum would be so disappointed in you."

Then tears stained his cheeks for sure.

I looked away from him, feeling several strings tug at my chest as I saw this man cry. There had been several times where I had seen him burst into tears, but not like this. He had never tried to handle it silently before.

He sniffed. "Where were you last night?"

"Oh," I mocked him. "You noticed?"

"Of course I did, you're my son!"

"Why start acting like it now then?"

I had driven him into silence.

"Why now?"  
He remained to hold his lips shut tightly, taking his watery dark eyes away from mine. Probably staring down into the depths of his own depression as well as misfortune.

Tears formed in the corner of my eyes. "Why do I only mean something to you now?"

I longed for him to look at me. I wanted his eyes to lock with mine one last time so I could watch him burst into tears. So I could maybe hear him apologise for forcing me to survive by myself for the past year.

But he never looked at me again.

My phone rang from my jeans pocket. Vibrating violently against my leg as if it urgently desired for me to take it from my trousers.

Quickly I fished it out in front of me, watching as Soul's name flashed blue across the screen; once - twice.

I walked towards the stairs. "Bye, dad."

A couple of steps up the staircase, I pressed answer on my phone, placing it to my ear to hear the sound of my best friend's voice.

"Soul?" I asked, "what's up?"

He struggled to catch his breath. "Dude, a whole load of us decided to bunk off school and head down town..."  
I interrupted him. "Cheers for the invite?"

"Shut up and listen!" His voice held an emotion that was explicable to words. "She was here!"

I raised an eyebrow, "who?"

"That girl!"

_Maka?_

"She was with some tall guy, he was in a suit and he had too much gel in his hair just like you said!"

"Soul..." I sighed. "That could've been anyone."

Now he was whispering. "She's there again, they're both walking towards a car."

I frowned. "Put me on loud speaker."

There were a few beeps on the other end of the line, but after a few short seconds I could hear cars racing past in the road and conversations spawning on the side walk.

But then there was another voice. So audibly clear that I were able to recognise who it belonged to. And I felt everything around me spiralling away.

"Maka, come along."

It was no one other than _him._

My jaw clenched. "Where are you?"

~o~0~o~

As I jogged up the road into town, I couldn't prevent myself from looking in every direction around me. Even glancing in shop windows as I walked on past them, looking several times in order to believe that they were empty.

My DC's cracked the ice I walked on. Snapping it like twigs and shattering it's frozen remains beneath my feet - that's how careless I was. But I had told myself that I would be far from careless if I found this girl again.

Soul pulled me down an alleyway. "What took you so long?"

"I walked maybe?" I realised then that it was a very careless decision to make.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, everyone else left. They went running back to school."

"Really?" I questioned, "they were that nervous?"

"I guess so."

He stood beside me, leaning out behind the wall, as if he himself were hiding from someone. But as his eyes came across what it was he was looking for, he motioned for me to get closer.

He pointed to across the road. "Is that her?"

My hands were shaking in my hoody pockets as I followed my gaze to where his was. Feeling every awakened nerve within my distraught body grip on for dear life. I was beyond nervous to see her once again.

There she was.

Her blonde hair resting against her collarbone, just above her breasts. Her fragile pale skin, gleaming with purity as well as the innocence that shone throughout everything she was standing for. And those eyes. Those sad, green, beautiful eyes that lit up everything surrounding her. The earth was enlightened just by her presence - as was I.

"Yeah..." I stammered. "That's her."

Subconsciously I stepped forward, feeling every inch of my body being lured towards her. She was just there, on the other side of the road. All I had to do was take hold of her delicate hand and force her to come with me. I'd protect her from everything and everyone.

I stepped forward again, but this time Soul grabbed my arm.

"What are you doing?" He exclaimed. "You can't just go over there."

Depression rose and overflew within my chest. "Why not?"

"Are you an idiot?" He forced me to step back into the alley. "Look who's standing with her."

Of course, _he _was there. Mr. no name. Standing no more than one foot away from her, like she were attached to some lead of his. Being treated as his little animal.

Rage burned my palms into fists, forcing every inch of my frustrated body to shake uncontrollably with nothing but pure hatred for the man who stood only a road's width away from me.

**I would make her mine.**

"I say we follow them back to wherever he keeps her." He turned to face me with his keen red eyes. "Then later you can go in and get her."

My heart throbbed. "Why just me?"

"There's no way I'm getting involved in this crap, man."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow, "what you doing now then?"

He fished his phone from his pocket. "Just simply helping out a friend."

"Isn't that getting involved?"

"No," he was quick to defend himself. "It isn't."

I moved my eyes back to across the road, with the urgent desire to stare at her one last time before she were most likely to disappear from me once again.

But the only difference this time, was that she was staring back at me too.

**Maka**

It was him. The boy from the library. The boy from the forest. He was standing on the other side of the road, watching me with those big golden eyes of his. Watching me as if I was something he lusted after.

And that thought alone caused the animal inside of me to burst into millions of lively butterflies. It was the most amazing thing I had felt for a long time.

The monster in front of me was busy gazing at something in a shop window, completely oblivious to the boy standing on the opposite side of the street. Only god knew what would happen if the both of them were to make eye contact.

I looked back to my forest saviour. Locking my eyes with his as I wished that he'd get closer, and continue to do so until he was close enough to steal me away forever. But with every second that our gaze deepened, he remained on the other side of the road.

Slowly, I raised my index finger in front of my face, placing it towards my lips. And from where he was standing, I watched him do the same, causing my heart to flip and skip like it were invincible.

I wasn't afraid.

I walked closer to the man in front of me and lightly tapped him on his shoulder. Expecting him to be confused as to why I had interrupted his deep thoughts, I waited for him to turn and face me. But to my surprise, he just stared at me like he would any other human.

That's when I knew he was putting on an act.

**Death the Kid**

The man placed something in her hand, and once she had fully received it and clenched it in her grasp, she turned to walk into the shop that stood beside her. And like the creep he was, he watched her with every step she took.

"Where is she going?" Worry had worked it's way up the back of my throat.

Soul had to stop me from taking a step closer. "Wait."

A few minutes later she stepped outside the shop, a bottle in one hand and the remaining money she bought it with in the other. She quickly opened her clenched fist to the man, and he took back what rested in her outstretched palm.

Then whilst he looked away from her once more, she held the bottle up to show me.

My eyebrows drew themselves together. "What?"

She then pointed towards the bottle full of water, and then at the car a way beside her, repeatedly pointing to each of them as if it were the most easiest of things to understand.

"Maka?"

Soul and I both ducked behind the wall.

"It's time to go."

Slowly she looked towards him, nodding at his command to leave, before looking back towards where Soul and I were standing with those same sad, gleaming eyes of hers.

Her body slowly glided towards the black vehicle parked on the side of the road. I watched her step out into the road, as the tall monstrous man pulled open the door to the back seat as if he were such thing as a gentlemen.

She looked down at the water bottle resting in her hands as she ducked inside, sitting back in the chair as he shut the door on her beautiful presence. Barricading the both of us away from each other.

And as he disappeared round to the driver's side, she rolled the window down to reveal her stunning fragile face, in which for some reason caused my heart to stammer and skip ahead several beats.

She popped open the lid of the bottle and held it outside the window, giving me a look in which told me she was scared at the same time as doing so. But I gave her a look back, one that told her that she'd be okay. And that I'd make that happen.

Soul gripped my shoulder. "She's making a trail."

Then just as those words had left his lips, the engine from the car roared and began to pull away from the pavement. And just like Drake had suspected, water began to spill from the top of the bottle, staining the road beneath it. Leaving behind a dark line down the centre of the concrete.

"You better get going," Soul turned to me with a smile. "Before she runs out of water."


	13. Chapter 13

**Together**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Death the Kid**

Her trail had taken me all the way to the entrance of the forest. That's about where she must've run out of water because the bottle lay in the opened frozen muddy track.

So without wasting another second to hesitate I darted down the mud track. Feeling my body slide in every direction as I did so, feeling the icy ground slip from beneath my DC's.

I was just extremely grateful that the street workers had cleared the road of snow. Because if they hadn't, there'd be no way that I'd even know she was somewhere round here. She was the blonde haired, green eyed girl I didn't know - but longed to save.

The forest was already growing darker as the afternoon dawned on me. But luckily I had wondered this forest since I was a little boy, so I knew every branch and every rock like the back of my hand. And I intended to find her some way and somehow.

School hours were most likely over by now, so there was a good chance Soul had gone back to his house after he had left the town. And I swore to myself, that if I were to find this girl - I owed Soul every breath from my life.

It was hard to believe, but I could somehow feel as to why I strongly believed I needed to find this girl. Something about her was just completely different to anyone else. I had it pinned down as being her eyes. I was just so curious about what it was that made them seem almost inhuman, but yet fascinating.

The mud squelched as I pressed my feet down, feeling the shards of ice and wood stab into the soles of my shoes. With every step I took, something would try to stop me in my tracks, but no matter how small or how big - I refused to stop for nothing.

**Maka**

_ Please come. He's coming. He won't leave me._

The fire flickered from beside me, and the seat opposite remained empty. Oh how I pleaded with every inch of my soul that it could stay that way. I prayed as if my mind itself were my own god, although it could never live up the expectations I wanted it to.

_My boy from the forest, please save me._

**Death the Kid**

I came across my deserted tree house. Already feeling as if I were lost and I should just give up with every little thing that surrounded me in that moment.

Soul should have came along with me. I should have argued my way into getting him to tag along with the fun adventure. But he was right, this had nothing to do with him.

It had nothing to do with me either, but with every memory I had of her beautiful face and rosy cheeks, I just pressed myself to continue walking through that forest.

I refused to let myself give up now.


	14. Chapter 14

**Together**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Maka**

"You're such a good girl, Maka." He swigged down more alcohol from his flask. "I mean - you're really good."

I dug my nails into my knees. Gripping on so tightly to my jeans I swore I could feel my skin ripping from beneath the fabric. But with every slurred word that escaped his lips, I wanted to cause myself more harm than ever before.

He smirked, showing me his alcohol stained teeth. "I can't believe I ever doubted you."

_Someone, help me..._

"And another thing." Another gulp. "You're so... beautiful."

My skin split like thread. Tiny marks of blood seeping from my skin and staining my jeans beneath my fingertips. More drops of blood continuing to rise, although there were no pain being brought to my body whatsoever.

"Look at me, Maka."

My gaze moved towards him. Staring back at his drunken posture as he sat in the chair across the room from me. The flickering fire casting rays of light and yet darkness upon his scheming face.

His eyes wouldn't leave me alone, they seemed to follow me, even though I weren't moving anywhere. But no matter how many times I were to look away from him, he would remain to watch me intensely.

I quickly stood up. But so did he.

My heart was throbbing hard inside my chest. Trying its hardest to smash through my ribcage and cast itself on display to this monster of a man that stood before me.

I turned to walk for the door, walking as fast as I could, and to my luck - he didn't walk after me. So I walked faster, hoping to get to the bathroom and maybe sneak out the window once again. I intended to leave tonight - and tonight only.

My converse pressed against the carpet with every step I took. And for some reason, feeling the ground beneath my feet calmed me, like it reassured me that in that moment I was still alive.

But fear was slowly beginning to consume me. It was creeping up and back down my spine over and over, and destroying my nerves and my confidence as I continued to walk down the hallway.

After I escaped I would run as fast as I could. I'd run anywhere, everywhere if I had to. I'd do absolutely anything, to get away from him.

He gripped my wrist. "Maka."

And I was trapped. He had me against the hall wall, pinned by both my wrists and his face inches away from mine. The horrid stench of his alcohol breath stinging both my nose and my eyes.

His nails stabbed at my flesh, piercing my skin as well as my scars I had collected from over the years, but they were there before I had changed. My existence in that petrifying moment was excruciating, and I wished to die within his paining grasp.

He breathed unsteadily. "I, must have you..."

His grip tightened as his head got closer towards my neck. My suffocating, frozen neck. And he placed his lips against my skin. His cracked, alcoholic lips, planting themselves against every inch of my bare skin.

I felt myself scream behind my lips. I felt myself burn up with anger as well as my freezing fear. And I could feel myself growing more sickened with every kiss he planted up my neck, slowly getting closer towards my lips.

_Get off._

I struggled beneath his grasp. He had me pinned tightly against the wall and there was no way I could possibly think of escaping. My body was trapped against his, and the wall.

His hands ran themselves down my arms. The shards of his fingernails scratching me as he did so, creating lines upon my skin that were bound there by his desire for my breaking body.

My collar was grabbed within his palms, the force causing my body to slam against his with so much lusting power. Although I had prayed that the force would have sent him to the suffocating depths of hell, I was the only one that were suffering.

His painful stabbing kisses reached my jawline.

And I didn't want to stand it anymore.

I brought my knee up into his groin, watching as he dropped to the floor in agony before me, clutching himself in utter pain. It were my chance to see him cry in great despair.

"You bitch!"

My smile widened greatly as I darted for the bathroom. Watching as the door came into view whilst I ran round the corner, wanting to run even faster to grip onto the door handle.

It was locked.

Fear was all I could taste in the back of my throat.

_No!_

I ran from door to door, tugging and slamming on the doorhandles, pleading for one of them to open for my escape. But every single one I ran to was locked and bolted, motionlessness.

He chuckled. "You don't think I saw this coming?"

Shaking, he slowly stood up. His eyes wide with amusement and a smirk more devious than ever before. His very appearance sickening me once again as I watched him gradually get closer to where I were standing.

There was no way I could let him steal away my freedom once again. My hands were shaking with an unreasonable amount of lust for escape, but they were also ambitious for revenge against him.

I span as quickly as I could, coming face to face with the window at the end of the hall that held nothing more than the sunset - and my freedom.

His footsteps got quicker behind me, continuing to speed up as I started to sprint towards the end of the hall. Running because every second left of my life depended on the next action I was about to make.

"Don't you dare!" His fingertips brushed against the back of my shirt. "Maka!"

I could feel myself burning up with adrenaline. It was flowing violently throughout every single one of my boiling veins. And with every second I grew closer to the window, I could feel it urging me to go faster, because it knew I could.

"No!"

But it was too late. I couldn't stop.

I dived at the window. Throwing every ounce of my body into the glass before me, feeling it smash beneath my weight and shatter like tiny rain drops falling from violent clouds.

Every shard of glass scratched at my skin across my body. Scratches marking my cheeks, my arms and even my neck. But the pain had felt so much better than when he was there - kissing me.

Falling had never felt more amazing, especially when the ground hit hard beneath my feet. As well as the stabbing pain extra pieces of glass caused me, when I placed my hand down to steady my landing.

I was the powerful one now.

**Death the Kid**

Smashing glass shattered in the distance. Forcing me to a stop in the centre of the darkening forest and turn abruptly in the direction in which it was created.

The sound of glass hammering against the ice followed shortly after that, echoing throughout the trees and continuing towards the setting sun as if the cause had desired the same sun to notice.

I couldn't prevent myself from taking a step forward, forcing myself towards the direction it occurred. Like I knew what had created it, the thought of who it was lingering in the back of my mind since the very first day I had met her.

"Maka..." Her name felt soft against my lips.

My legs moved quickly, crushing everything that stood beneath my feet, and breaking everything that stood in my path as if it were purposely trying so hard to make me go back.

She needed me. So no, I didn't go back. I only proceeded to go forward and continue treading through the snow. Pushing and pulling piles of it from the ground as I took my every step, gathering like an army full of snow - that were destined to fight at my side.

"Maka, get back here!"

It was her. And she had escaped.

**Maka**

Branches and thorns scraped at my skin. Ripping my flesh from my cheeks and replacing it with drips of blood that would soon fade from my body altogether. But despite the pain the forest brought to me, I didn't stop running.

This was my second escape, and I had planned to make it my last. There was no possible way I'd ever let myself go back to that god forsaken house ever again.

I heard his voice from behind me. My name yelling from his patronising lips, screaming as if the last time it were yelled would possibly make a difference.

My breath stammered inside my lungs, like it wanted to escape from my body due to the fact it despised to exist in the same place as the retched animal I possessed.

_I don't want to go back there, please don't let me._

With every sprint I took, my elbows crashed into my ribs. Stabbing me as if they longed to stop me also. But they didn't know I couldn't be caused harm - they had no effect on me.

Water flooded up inside my converse, freezing up the skin on my tiresome feet and possibly stinging me more than the cuts on my face did.

Still, I didn't stop running.

A smile spread like raging fire upon my face. Hot with power, and bright with pure happiness that burned throughout my entire body.

"Maka!" His slurred words sounded lost beneath the sky. "There's no point in running!"

On some sick and twisted level, he had a point. Every time I had escaped from that demon mansion I was always caught, if not straight away then shortly after.

I had imagined the place I'd run to. It would be nothing more and nothing less than what I'd call my home. And it would be my paradise. It would be the place where I'd never have to get angry again, and I'd stay forever human.

The cold wind caressed at my cheeks, acting as if it were trying to boost me further in the forest. Trying to give me the speed I longed to have in my grasp, give me the will to grow faster.

But just as I worked up my strength to push myself faster, my foot was caught beneath the root of a tree.

Every ounce of speed I had pushed into my legs hit me in that moment. Hit me as my body crashed against the ground.

I screamed in agony as my face collided with the ground. My skin splitting open as shards of ice so eagerly ripped apart my flesh.

And for the first time since I left the house - I didn't want to move.

**Death the Kid**

I heard her scream.

She was close.

**Maka**

As I wept into the snow I lay on, I heard footsteps approach from behind me. Shoes crunching in the ice and the sounds of their heavy breathing as they pulled themselves to a stop.

"Poor Maka..." he mocked me. "Did you fall down?"

It howled in the pit of my stomach, squirming with the lust for blood.

Laughter approached his devilish lips. "You pathetic child."

The moon was rising above us now. Beaming down like a spotlight to the suffocating and paining scene.

His laughter echoed all around me as if it were sinking into my deepest of thoughts. Boiling every broken memory I held within my veins that must have been on the verge of losing everything they existed for.

Slowly he was growing colder, feeling the coldness of his presence as he stared down on me with every single one of those traumatising thoughts he kept hold of.

It growled again. Turning over in my stomach to scratch at my insides with it's razor claws.

Arm stretched, he reached from me. His long bony fingers reaching for my human body, whilst holding that smile that glared down on me as he inched on closer.

I closed my eyes tightly. "Stop..."

He froze millimetres from my arm, his smile completely wiped from his face and his eyes wider than any river or any ocean.

"Did you..." He stuttered, "just speak?"

He was thrown to the ground.


	15. Chapter 15

**Together**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Death the Kid**

I dived at his legs. My right shoulder catching the back of his knees as I threw my arms around his shins. Tackling him off guard; I sent him to the ground.

My body crashed to the ground with his, shards of snow and ice flying up beside us as we hit the forest floor. Pain striking at my knees as they smashed against the numbing ice.

The green eyed girl quivered in fear as I pushed myself up onto my trembling knees, leaning over the man who she were so horridly terrified of. His dark glaring eyes staring up at me as I pinned him down by his skeleton throat.

"Stay away from her!" I gripped his throat tighter, "or I swear to god!"

Smirking widely, he placed his hand over mine. "You swear what?"

Anger grew strong inside me. Forcing me to lift his pathetic little throat from beneath me, and slam him back against the ice. Watching as his cocky smirk completely vanished from his lips.

"I mean it." I gripped on tighter.

From behind me the girl tried to push herself away. Scraping her body across the ground as if distancing herself a great deal away from both myself and the man beneath me.

"Okay," he choked. "She's yours."

My eyes widened in disbelief, loosening my grip on his throat as I pulled away. Feeling the adrenaline in my legs as I wobbled to my feet, my knees stinging as they straightened.

He remained coughing against the ground as I stood above him, staring down at him with my fists clenched at either of my sides. My nails scratching away my skin as I bit my lip in frustration.

_I won?_

Slowly I turned away from him, feeling his glare burning the back of my head as I did so.

She remained against the ground, staring up at me with her wide unblinking eyes. The reflection of the dark night sky resting delicately in her iris's, like it were a whole different world that existed inside of her - and I was an outsider.

Snow crunched under my DC's, sounding more fragile than any other time I had set foot in this forest. Just from that one sound I could tell that it were slowly breaking around me, and one day it'd all be gone.

The presence of this girl had weakened me.

"Come on," I smiled lightly as I reached out to her. "Let's go."

Her hand was cold against mine, stinging as our palms were pressed together. Creating something so fragile and elegant that just a fragment of new air could destroy it completely.

She was so light to pick up it terrified me, her tiny body feeling like nothing more than a feather beneath my fingertips. But as she fully stood in front of me, her beauty presented her as something much more.

A heavy weight collided with the back of my head. Causing everything to go black for only a moment.

But when I opened my eyes I was lying against the ground, and the green eyed girl was grabbed by the man who longed to keep her hidden.

Pain was all I could taste. "No..."

She was screaming, reaching out to me with scratched up palms. Tears bleeding from her eyes and staining her rosy cheeks.

She wouldn't stop screaming.

"See Maka?" His fingers were gripped tightly in her hair. "This is what happens when you play with unwanted people."

The wound from my lip reopened, red sticky liquid staining my chin. "Let her go..."

A yelp escaped her luscious lips as he pulled harder on her hair, forcing her to stare down at my weakened, damaged body.

"Look at how weak he is, Maka."

My arms trembled as I tried to push myself up from the freezing ground. The very earth feeling as if it were shaking beneath me, trying to push me back down in the dirt.

She watched me in fear, her pained eyes longing for me to stand and save her for the third time. She just wouldn't stop staring down at me with her green, beautiful, bloodshot eyes.

"He's useless isn't he?"

I was useless. There was no doubt about it. He was right.

His hand was placed against her shoulder. "You don't need to play with him..."

Her shirt scrunched up as he clenched it in his fist.

"You have me."

Then his desire for lust broke out in front of me as he ripped her sleeve from her shirt and threw it to the ground, seizing hold of her naked shoulder in his hand, and pulling her fragile body close to him.

She cried beneath his grasp, screaming out as the cold air pinched at her now uncovered skin.

My knuckles stung white as I pushed myself from the ground, feeling the weight of the cold air try to throw me down again as I defied its capture on me.

His face was inches away from her skin. His dark eyes staring lustfully at her vulnerable body whilst unaware of my presence approaching him as fast as the wind would let it.

"Get off her!"

My clenched fist was thrown quickly, before I had even acknowledged what my plan was. But before I had the chance to figure it out, my knuckles cracked beneath his jawline.

Due to my blow against his jaw, he dropped his hold on the green eyed girl. So eager to clutch hold of his throbbing face he let her fall to the ground in front of me.

Before she had the chance to hit the ground, I threw my arms beneath hers, catching her as she was just inches above the stabbing ice. Once again, feeling her incredibly light weight beneath my own.

Which gave me my next idea.

The man exclaimed in pain from behind me. "You fucking brat!"

"Hold on," I told her.

My left arm were buried beneath her thighs, sweeping her from the ground and in my arms whilst trying not to slip against the ice. She held on tightly round my neck, watching as the man behind me turned back round to where I had hold of his rare, little, Maka.

That's when I started running.

Her eyes were clenched shut as I darted past the forest trees. Holding her close to me as I tried to dodge her away from every branch and thorn that could possibly stain a wound upon her precious face.

I gripped my hold on her even tighter. Feeling the last ounce of warmth from her body against my hoody as I did so. Wanting to hold her even closer as I felt the slight tickle of her breath against my neck.

"I will find you!" His voice shook the birds from the trees. "And when I do, I will kill you!"

Although it should have, fear didn't seize hold of me in that moment. What he said far from terrified me, in fact - it made me smile.

Her nails tickled at my hairline. Feeling strands of my hair get caught between her fingers, over and over again. As if she were drawn in by it, like a moth to a flame.

Then as the moon were at it's highest, it beamed down to show me the exit of the forest. Guiding me the way to Maka's safety, guiding the way to a life that I knew would be so much better for her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Together**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Maka**

For once I saw the night without the treetops. I was able to stare up at the clear dark sky whilst smiling at the moon. The amazing thing was - it was all because of my forest boy.

He now carried me with his naked arms. His strong chest flexing through his grey t-shirt and warming up the side of my frozen face. I wore his black hoody, in which went half way down my thighs. But despite how huge it was, it kept me warm and covered.

For the first time in eleven years. I felt protected.


	17. Chapter 17

**Together**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Death the Kid**

As I pushed opened the front door, darkness seeped past both me and the green eyed girl and devoured itself within the night. Nothing but the slightest amount of street light reflecting against the darkened windows as if it were trying to make something of this deserted home.

I held her hand tightly as she stepped through the doorway. Pulling her close to me so I were able to close the door behind her. Officially feeling a huge weight fall off my shoulders as I finally had her somewhere safe.

I had to fight the urge to crush her fragile body against mine, and tightly wrap my arms around her in order to protect her from every bit of harmful air that could possibly bruise her delicate cheeks. But I didn't.

To my surprise as I looked around the room, it was completely deserted of beer cans as well as my father. In fact, for once the place looked somewhat normal - despite the dark.

I turned to her, "this way."

She clutched onto my hand with both of hers as I guided her towards the staircase. Almost as if she were half expecting someone to jump out in front of us, which caused her to grip on tighter.

Watching her sweet little face, I flicked on the light switch. Bringing light to everything surrounding us and forcing every ounce of the dark to cower away in the corners of the room.

She smiled warmly, almost as if light was what triggered the soft side of her emotions, and the darkness was what consumed everything that made her happy.

"I'll take you to my room," I searched her eyes. "Okay?"

She nodded, staring down towards her red broken converse and watching as her toes lifted up inside her shoes. For some reason - this amused her.

The stairs creaked beneath our feet as we slowly began to make our way up them, still grasping her hand in mine with every step I took towards the landing.

Switching on the next light switch to grace the hall with light, I noticed how all the rooms seemed empty. Every single one of them deserted of the drunkard I called my father. Which caused something to turn in the bitterness of my chest.

Standing beside me, she looked from left to right between rooms. As if she were in a whole new dimension.

She probably thought she was. Being locked away in the same house for however many years he imprisoned her for, seeing a whole different house would most likely make her nervous.

I pressed my palm against the door beside me. "This is it."

And as the door swung open, we were both greeted by darkness once more, although the tiniest amount of light beamed at the window. Caused by the flickering street light that stood a way from the house itself.

I turned on the light, drowning away what ever potential the street light thought it had, and devouring it in darkness.

Suddenly she dropped my hand, stepping forward into my bedroom without taking a moment to hesitate. Staring from left to right as she walked towards the centre of the room - admiring every piece of crap for herself.

"You alright?" I leaned against the door frame.

I watched her head nod slowly, still turning to face everything around her.

She stopped and stood there for a moment, intensely staring towards the corner of my room. Something there had caught her eye, and whilst standing behind her I could neither see what it was nor the expression on her face as she watched it.

She moved closer to it, staring down at whatever it was she was looking at. It was like she were waiting for it to move.

But she carried on walking.

I frowned and stepped into the room myself, staring past her tiny body towards the corner of my room, my eyes widening as I saw it sitting in the corner.

She knelt down in front of the bear, fixating her eyes with it and watching it as if it had a pulse. There was no doubt in my mind that she was fascinated by it, staring at it with that much intensity.

I chuckled. "You like it?"

She nodded.

"Why don't you give it a cuddle?"

Abruptly she turned to face me. Confusion staining her eyes as well as the circle her lips had curved into.

"It's okay," I stepped closer. "That's what it's for."

She hesitated, but slowly turned back round to face it. Surprised when she noticed how it hadn't moved nor said a single word. I suppose that's what the both of them had in common.

Her fingertips brushed against it's soft brown fur, then quickly moved towards the red silk bow that sat around it's neck. Moving her hands to each part of the bear like it were something she had never seen before.

And that's when it struck me. She obviously hadn't.

She held it above her. Giggles escaping her lips as she watched the bow dangle down from around it's neck. It were like watching a child be given a bear for the first time. The only difference being the fact that she wasn't a child.

My heart stumbled in my chest. Tripping over every emotion I had ever felt, and landing against something so pure - butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

~o~0~o~

"It's okay," I sat her down on my bed in front of me. "I promise you're safe here."

Her eyes scanned the room around me once again. From the floor to the ceiling, even to the pile of old comic books that sat on the shelf behind me.

My eyes tried to meet her own, "I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to me.

_ I want to hear your voice._

She looked half alive, like she had been killed - slaughtered even. But she were still able to breathe and feel. My very own rare possession of the beautiful dead.

"Your name's Maka, right?" I could just about feel her presence in front of me.

I was afraid when I watched her eyes widen, when I saw her lower lip begin to quiver, like she threatened to burst into tears at the very sound of my voice.

I slowly gripped hold of her palms, "hey, it's okay."

She didn't take her eyes away from mine, she glued them there, so she were purposely forever bound to that exact spot, like nothing would ever take her away. She was mine in that moment.

"Is that your name?"

Slowly, she nodded.

For some reason it felt extremely hard to breathe as I watched her push herself further back onto the bed. She was like the most delicate thing I had ever owned.

Except she wasn't mine.

Her grip on my hand grew tighter as her head tilted to face her quivering knees, her rosy lips trembling at the same time. But all she did to prevent herself shaking this time was - nothing.

Her fingertips pressed hard against my knuckles as the seconds past. It were like she were trying her hardest to make sure I was still there, sitting on the ground before her.

I pressed back too. Proof to her that my existence were stronger than ever as I continued to breathe in front of her. It would pain me if she thought I would ever leave her, at danger to be found, by _him._

She smiled.

And my heart flew.

Her hand was warm wrapping itself around my own. It was her way of feeling protected by my presence. She and I both knew I was hardly strong enough to shield her from an army, but I could protect her from the one man she feared most.

Her cheeks were red and dirty, and her hair hung messy and damaged by the forest air. Her clothes smelled damp and kind of like wet dog, which horrifically stung at my nostrils.

Watching her have to suffer in the state she were in pained me. It was like I could feel every terrible thing she were feeling in that moment, except it hurt her more than myself.

I rose slowly, "come."

I pulled her up to stand beside me, her small body urging to step close towards me to drown away any unwanted space that could possibly ever part us.

I walked her from my bedroom doorway towards the bathroom, still clutching on tightly to her fragile hand. Feeling as if her bones could snap beneath my grasp.

The door slowly pushed itself open with just a brush from my hand. The whiteness from the room seeming to grow brighter than it had before, like it were her doing as we both stepped into the room.

We walked towards the shower, the surface of its transparent door casting my reflected weakened appearance as I stepped towards it, seeming to show every despised detail of myself more than usual.

"You relax, okay?" I reached to turn the showers handle, "I'll see if I can find you something to sleep in."

The water splashed against my jeans as it fell from the shower head. Pattering against the glass as I stepped away, my hand still twined with hers.

I smiled towards her warmly, "take as long as you need."

As I walked towards the bathroom door, preparing to take my leave and time to find her something to wear, her grip on my hand grew stronger once more.

She pulled me back towards her, denying my will to leave her behind in a room she had never seen before. Remaining to keep her grip locked in my own.

I turned my head back to face her. "You don't want me to leave?"

Her cheeks flushed red while as she stared towards her bare feet, shaking her head quickly to deny my decision to leave. Her messy blonde falling from her shoulders to rest against her collarbone.

I couldn't help but notice.

"Okay..." I sighed lightly, "come on."

I placed a bare foot into the streaming shower, already beginning to feel the fabric of my jeans cling against my shin as the water pressed against them.

And after looking from both the girl beside me and my already soaking leg, I placed the other foot in beside the first, feeling the weight of the water patter against my skull.

She stared up at me amazed. Her eyes either glistening from her admiration or from the reflection of the moon outside.

Droplets of water bounced against her skin. Staining what looked like something so pure and beautiful, water were sure to swallow it whole, and drown it in it's ocean.

I tugged her gently, but enough to watch her stammer forward and place her own foot in the shower beside my own. And only a few seconds after did her other follow.

_ Will I break her?_

She seemed too delicate in my grasp, like at any moment she would shatter and fall to my feet, only to be swallowed by the drain and swallowed by the ocean for sure. But even then I'd still save her.

Her clothes were drenched just as mine were. Water dripping from her bare shoulder where her shirt was ripped, and then rolling down her skin towards her chest.

I used my hand that wasn't laced with hers to stroke at her hair as she stood in front of me. Watching as all the twigs and clumps of mud fell to the shower floor, only to be joined by more shortly after.

Her hair felt tough beneath the water, which satisfied me in some way to believe that part of her were still strong. But once staring back at the rest of her, she were still so fragile.

"Is that okay?"

I watched her cheeks rise slightly. Her smile casting rays of light in the darkest and most depressing places. The biggest of lights feeling as if it were burning inside my very own chest.

The place that had mostly felt dark and broken when I forgot what it meant to smile.


	18. Chapter 18

**Together**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Maka**

I sat in his bed, covered in blankets of all different colours and fabrics. Surrounded by pillows that smothered me with a comforting amount of warmth. The sensation made me smile, due to the fact I had never felt anything like it before.

Kid had leant me one of his large black t-shirts. One that reached half way down my thighs just like his hoody, as well as hanging low around my neck. But I didn't need to worry about anything falling out.

He had also gave me a pair of blue boxer shorts to wear underneath. He claimed that they were new and he had never worn them, but I could tell he was lying from the fact that I could smell the scent of his skin all over them.

"You okay?" Light seeped in through the doorway as he walked into the darkened room.

He hopped onto the bed beside me, crossing his legs and placing his hands in his lap, like we were told to do when we were children.

Just like me he wore a black t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. Although whilst mine were blue, the ones he wore were red. All the colours in the room made me giggle.

The sheets lifted slightly as he climbed in beside me. Causing a draft from the outer air to brush against my bare legs, causing a shiver to tremble up my spine as I remembered the cold nights I spent inside that house.

He noticed me shivering. "Would you rather I slept downstairs?"

I turned to face him, just managing to make out every feature of his appearance in the dark surrounding room: his black messy hair that stuck out in every direction, strands brushing against his earlobes. And his pale face, that held two golden, shinning orb glistening eyes that seemed to waver every time they looked at me.

I shook my head, feeling the hairs on his strong legs tickle against my skin as he moved in closer. Continuing to push on next to me as if he desired to suffocate the space that attempted to part us.

He was warm. My whole body tingled as his hot breaths caught themselves within the strands of my hair. Every breath he took it forced goosebumps to spawn up and down my arms, but a different kind to ones I had ever experienced before. It felt amazing.

"You have nothing to worry about." He placed his elbow on the pillow behind him, leaning his head in his palm. "No ones going to hurt you anymore."

My smile beamed from my cheeks, radiating upon his face as he smiled back down on me.

I placed my face into the pillow I lay on, still unable to control my smile as it widened by the seconds I remained staring up at him.

His eyebrows narrowed all of a sudden. "Just let me know one thing."

My eyebrows rose, but still that bright beaming smile would not fade from upon my face. It was invincible against everything that sat around me, due to the presence of the boy who had willed away his time to become my saviour.

"Why don't you speak?"

That forced my smile to disintegrate into nothing but a memory. Only a memory.

He lowered his head to my level. "I don't want to pressure you into thinking that you have to."

I rolled over onto my back, staring towards the ceiling as if I were waiting for it to come tumbling down on me. Waiting for it to bury me beneath every inch of rubble, just to avoid the conversation.

"Is it trust issues?" I felt his fingertips brush against my knuckles. "I promise you can trust me."

Outside the moon danced with the midnight stars. Sparkling like never before to light up the dark, like something about this night was different to the rest. Something had changed.

"Maka." He said it as if it could break inside his mouth. "Did he threaten you?"

Every night I spent inside that house, I was unable to speak. Simply because he despised every word that escaped my lips. He said if I spoke a single word he'd make me regret it, and he'd stand there - watching, as I wept in fear.

Truthfully I could no longer remember what my voice sounded like. I began to believe that my voice inside my head was no longer mine, but someone or something he had placed there to scare me with everything they thought.

I had never been so afraid.

Riley's fingers twined with mine. "He can't hurt you now. You're free to do and say whatever you want."

My heart skipped a beat as his fingertips brushed against my stomach. Causing every breath I held within my lungs to escape from my body. Floating away into the air around me as if it despised what I held inside me also.

Then almost subconsciously, my mouth parted itself. Wanting to place unspoken words against my lips as well as the worded emotions I never had the chance to experience.

**Death the Kid**

I watched her delicately. Her mouth working hard to form something she were unable to create for such a long time. She struggled to even make a sound, causing a massive spike of sympathy to slice at the inside of my chest.

My hand gripped onto hers tighter. Everything inside me longing to give her every ounce of courage that I possessed and so far hadn't lost. I just didn't want to watch her pain herself with everything she couldn't say.

I opened my mouth to stop her.

"Maka..."

She squeezed back.

"My name is Maka."

Her voice were soft. Quiet at the most. Like she were terrified that the world could possibly hear her.

Her smile enlightened all the darkness with inside me. "And I'm happy."


	19. Chapter 19

**Together  
**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Maka**

"This is my favourite song, listen to this okay?" The smile on his smile was beautiful and heart-warming.

He clicked a few buttons on the player, every click causing each song to pass until he found the one it was he wanted. And as the song began to play, he sat back on his knees and turned to watch my expression.

In blue writing, the number seven, sat lifelessly within the screen of the player.

"_Wait... where you say you've been?..."_

"This band's called _You Me at Six_." He chuckled looking towards the player. "This song's called _Crash. _It's my absolute favourite."

I could tell it meant a lot to him. Watching that smile on his face was like the whole of the worlds happiness just within one expression. I knew it was his favourite.

I smiled. "It's pretty."

Due to the sound of my voice, his eyes were eagerly drawn to me again. The gleam he held within his eyes seeming to grown brighter with every second the song was left playing.

"_Keep me on my toes... keep me in the know..."_

He stood up in front of me, palm out, expecting me to rest mine in his in order for him to pull me to a stand before him.

"Come on," he giggled. "Trust me."

My hand felt fragile resting on top of his. His masculine thumb brushing against my knuckles as if the harshest movement could shatter my whole existence into specks of sand.

But no matter how delicate I was, he proceeded to guide me from the ground which such care and caution, like whilst I was in his arms - I was invincible.

Within a few seconds of standing, I was already being pulled close to him, feeling the warmth of his chest radiate from beneath his t-shirt, and heat every ounce of my face.

His right hand was still laced with my left, while his other hand was already laced within the warmth of my hair. And he continued to pull me towards him until the second my body was resting against his.

"_If only there was proof I could use to show it's true..."_

And just like that, I could've sworn we were dancing. He held me tightly and we swayed ever so slightly but enough to tell that he danced, with me buried within his arms.

I gripped tightly at the back of his t-shirt, reminding me of when I first met him, and how I grabbed at his jacket because of the fear that consumed me. But right then, I swore to god and the very animal inside me I no longer felt that kind of fear.

"Maka..." His voice felt soft against my hair.

I slowly titled my back beneath his chin, "Kid..."

He made a sound that sounded like a laugh, but he had stopped himself due to the fact that he knew he would shatter the purity of the moment. So he just sighed and continued to hold me close to him.

"I'm..." His voice shook slightly. "I'm so happy I found you."

I pulled the both of us to a stop. Feeling the both of our movements fade away within memory, but the song still remained to enlighten the space around us.

Almost subconsciously, I stepped back, so I was able to see every inch of beautiful detail he held within his appearance. And as I stepped back to admire it all, my breath was stolen from inside my lungs.

The smile on his face had slowly drifted into and look of concern. "What's wrong?"

His golden eyes sparkled, as if the glistening sun itself existed behind his eyes. But as he proceeded to fix his gaze with mine, they continued to shimmer, as if my reflection in his was was so beautifully pure.

But only if he knew what I really was.

"Maka?"

I could feel his hands on me. The hands which saved me from the monster I had feared for my entire life. The hands that held me when the darkness was trying to claw me back.

I sniffed, "thank you."

As strands of my hair fell into the gaze of my teary eyes, he didn't hesitate before taking them in his masculine hand to place them back behind my ear.

"What for?" He asked, cupping my face in his hands.

I couldn't fight the urge no longer.

Just before I felt the trickle of tears bleeding upon my cheeks, I slammed my body against his. So much force behind it, for once I thought I could break him other than myself.

He stepped back slightly, regaining his balance before I knocked him over. Startling slightly as I threw my arms around his neck to pull him closer.

And just as my tears threatened to drip off the edge of my face, I placed my chin over his shoulder. Staring at my weeping reflection in the window that stared back at me in disgust.

I squeezed him to me. "You know what for..."

It was then I felt him squeeze me back, his strong arms wrapped tightly round my waist, holding me against him as if the slightest amount of space would part us, it would destroy us.

**Death the Kid**

"There's a party tonight." I smiled at her. "You wanna go?"

She looked up at me confused. "Party?"

I nodded, "you know, music, booze and people?"

She nodded back.

We lay out in the middle of my bedroom _You Me at Six _still blaring on the player as we laid there. Each song passing by, each one, more amazing than the last.

"So you wanna go?" I asked again.

She smiled widely, "sure."

It wasn't until then that I realised her hand was in mine. Both of our fingers twined together like string that could never be separated. And I couldn't help but blush at the fact I didn't realise.

She turned her head to face me once again. "What will I wear?"

"I have an idea," I smiled. "Don't worry, you don't have to go in my boxers."

She looks utterly beautiful when she laughs. She placed the back of her hand to her mouth as if trying to hide her laugh from the entire world, although I really wished she wouldn't.

Her eyes sparkled like the most rarest of diamonds, like the sun and the moon had collided together to create something purer than night and day itself. Like the world had created this amazing girl, just for me.

"So..." She giggled. "What you got in mind."

I pushed myself up from the floor. "I'll show you."

Due to my departure from her side, I had to drop my grip on her hand, which caused a great deal of pain inside me, and caused me to feel empty.

I walked over to my closet and pulled open the door, staring face to face with a load of button up shirts and jackets. The majority of shirts being white, whilst others were mainly some shade of blue, except for one which was green and I could see as to why the label was still on it.

I pulled out a white long sleeved shirt and tossed it on the bed, looking between other shirts, to see what else there was I could find. But there was nothing that looked like it could be of any use.

"Wait here," I closed the door. "See if that fits you."

I quickly walked out of my bedroom, pulling the door too behind me as I did so, then proceeding to walk out into the hall and take a look down the stairs, to see if my dad was anywhere to be found.

But he wasn't.

I pushed the door open to my mum and dads room, quickly taking a glance at my surroundings to be certain that my dads presence was no where around. Still, he wasn't here.

My mums belt draw opened smoothly when I pulled it, which came as a surprise to me due to how long it hadn't been opened for. But once it extended fully, I was able to pull the exact one I needed from her collection.

When the draw closed, I could faintly smell her perfume in the air around me, like she were standing beside me in that very moment. But no matter how much I wanted to believe that she was, I knew for a fact that she wasn't.

I gripped the belt tightly in my hand, turning quick on my heel to escape the perfume scented room, shutting the door fully behind me.

As I stood on the outside, I could feel the world getting lighter, as if everything only decided to close in on me when I was inside that room. And it was then that I finally understood the reason as to why my father hated going in there so much.

"Can I come in?" I knocked on the door. "Just wanna make sure you're not naked or anything."

She giggled once more, "you can come in."

As soon as I pushed open the door, she was the first thing that caught my gaze. Her arms reached out by either of her sides, the sleeves of the shirt hanging from her hands. Then just like the others, the shirt reached half way down her thighs, as if it was reaching towards her knees.

I laughed as I closed the door behind me. "We'll sort that."

I placed the belt down on the bed, and slowly walked towards the tiny green eyed girl. Her body drowning within the shirt I had leant to her, exactly the same with all the others, but I couldn't help but find it extremely adorable.

My hand brushed the tip of hers as I began rolling up the cuffs of the shirt, continuing to roll them up until the sleeve was rolled up to around her wrist, then I moved on to the next one.

I couldn't help but chuckle as I did so.

"What's funny?" She asked.

I shook my head slowly, my smile remaining high upon my cheeks. "You're just so, tiny."

She smiled back to me. "You'd be surprised at what I can do."

I stepped back to view my work, and to my surprise I noticed how good she looked in my shirt, and due to her cute appearance I felt my cheeks heating slightly by the second I remained staring at her.

"Here." I handed her the belt.

"Uh," she stammered. "Thanks."

She took the black belt in her hands, staring at it for a few moments before holding it to her hips, realising that the clasps didn't reach once she placed it there.

She looked up at me in worry, and then back to the belt as if she thought she broke it, like a little child and their toy.

But when she heard the sound of my chuckle, the expression on her face somewhat enlightened into something else, something greater than a child.

"Like this," I took it slowly from her hand. "It goes round your waist."

I wrapped the belt round her, watching as if her waist were sucking in the bagginess of the shirt, due to how skinny she was.

Looking at how thin she was, I couldn't help but begin to feel angry, as if _he _was the reason her body was like that. I couldn't help but think that maybe he had starved her, told her she wasn't pretty enough, told her she needed to be skinnier.

The belt clasped around her waist, the shirt sticking closely to her skinny stomach and hanging delicately around her thighs.

I looked up at her delicate face. "You hungry?"

She didn't look at me for a moment. She too just stared down at her waist as if she also couldn't believe her actual size. She was just staring at herself as if she felt sick with her own appearance.

"Maka."

She looked up.

"Are you hungry?"

She shook her head, "I'm okay."

I raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

She nodded.


	20. Chapter 20

**Together**

**Chapter Twenty**

**Death the Kid**

The bonfire flickered greatly from the field behind the bridge. It's flames beaming up and dancing with the night sky, causing ash to float on down and singe the snow that lay against the ground.

The whole field as well as the bridge were crowded with people. Crowds of people trying to barge past others, people jumping in the river, one after the other. Tops flying and drinks spilling.

Music was blaring from somewhere, but due to the crowds of people I was unable to tell where it was it was coming from. But I could tell it was loud, due to the fact that it forced waves of vibrations in my chest.

My hand was laced with hers. Both of hers in fact. She clung onto me with both of her tiny fragile palms, gripping on as tight as she possibly could so she didn't get lost somewhere in the crowd.

I led her through, pulling her out onto the suffocating bridge, turning round to make sure she was still behind me. And relief drowned within me when I saw that she was.

"Are you okay?" I shouted above the blare of music.

Looking quickly from left to right, she nodded, watching almost everything and everyone she walked past. Her grip seeming to grown stronger by the second.

It was then that when we were half way across the bridge, I saw Soul standing next to the fire, waving the both of us over to him. And without wasting any time to hesitate, I moved slowly through the crowds of people twining my fingers with Maka's.

As soon as we stepped off the bridge, I stepped aside to let Maka stand in front of me. Placing the both of my hands on her shoulders to slowly guide her over to where my best friend waited patiently.

"Hey!" He smiled widely. "You made it!"

I didn't take my hands away from her. "Yeah, we did."

The green eyed girl stared towards the ground beneath her feet. Kicking at the snow with the tip of her tattered converse, watching as if the dents she created made her seem somewhat powerful.

Soul reached his hand out towards her. "My name's Soul."

Quickly, she looked up.

I stood there for a second, watching her intensely, watching her as she watched him. Her lips shaking from the pressure of having to create a sound to pass them.

"Maka..." She smiled. "My name's Maka."

I nodded. "So who's exactly here?"

**Maka**

The blonde haired boy in front of me searched from left then right. Looking at everyone and everything that surrounded him in order to see who was here and who wasn't.

"The football team's over there."

He pointed over to a group of ten boys, all of them equally muscular, some shirtless and talking to the girls, others crowding round two boys in particular who held bottles to their lips and were drinking as quickly as they could. Somewhat amusing the entire group.

He pointed once again, but behind me this time. "Ricky and James are over there with Kyle."

I wanted to see who it was he was pointing to, but for some reason I was just to nervous to move.

"Oh..." His tone of voice changed. "And guess who else showed up."

Kid's voice lowered in disgust. "Kim and the terrible twins?"

Soul nodded. "Yeah, god knows where they are now."

"I really don't wanna guess." Kid shuddered, "I really don't."

Due to his reaction, Soul laughed. "All I can think of is what poor guy she'll try to seduce tonight."

They both laughed, but I didn't understand why. I didn't know who or what they were talking about. What the hell was a Kim?

"I'm gonna get us some drinks." Kid patted my shoulders. "What you want Maka?"

"Uh," I stammered. "Waters fine."

He chuckled. "Okay, be back in a sec."

I tried to follow where it was he walked off to, but as I tried to follow him with my gaze he just vanished within the crowds of people, in the mists of bodies and booze.

As I turned back round to face the blonde haired boy, I caught him staring at me, smirking at the same time. Which forced me to feel uneasy, due to the fact _he _used to stare at me like that - every day.

He took a sip from his bottle. "Kid's a lucky guy."

I smiled slightly, staring down towards the snowy ground. Watching as ash tickled at it's surface, only to disintegrate whatever was left within that spot.

"He talks a lot about you." Another sip.

I lifted my head. "Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "You must mean a lot to him."

I suddenly felt warm inside, like the fire beside me began to spark something that had sat frozen inside me for so long. And I knew for a fact that it wasn't the beast which longed to consume me.

"Oh shit..."

Something had caught Soul's attention, he stood there watching something behind me. Watching it as if it could attack within any second that went past.

I watched him carefully. "What is it?"

Suddenly a high pitched laugh seized a hold of the animal inside me. Forcing it to turn inside the pit of my stomach.

"Oh Kyle you're so funny!"

I slowly turned round to see a girl stroking at another boy's arm. Looking up at him, blinking her long eyelashes flirtatiously in attempt to get his attention.

Her skin was extremely tanned, not even in a good way. Her hair and lips were bright pink and almost florescent, as if she was sure someone would feel the need to kiss her. But I couldn't understand who would. This girl was hideous.

She wore a shirt which was buttoned just above her belly button, in which the ends were tied together to create a bow. She also wore a pair of skinny blue shorts, which unfortunately showed off more of her ugly tanned skin.

And then she strut around in a pair of black heels, so tall and thin they looked like they could bend and shatter at any moment.

I whispered in disgust, "what is that?"

What I said was supposed to be inaudible, but the blonde haired boy behind me choked on his drink as he began to snicker at my remark.

I turned to face him in confusion. "What?"

He tried to stop himself from laughing but couldn't, which sadly grasped the attention of the tanned creature that was now walking towards us.

"Soul!" She exclaimed excitedly, "how's it going?"

"I'm good." He cleared his throat, turning away from her.

I however, stared directly at her.

She noticed. "Hey, I'm Kim."

I nodded. "I'm Maka."

Soul stood there, staring at the both of us. Watching carefully as if one of us would strike at any moment. Like two dogs put in a cage to fight.

But of course, we knew what dog was going to win.

"I like your hair." She smiled. "It's pretty."

I gripped at my hair and stroked at it with my fingers. "Uh, thanks."

She stood there staring at me, as if she were half expecting me to compliment her back in some impossible way. But no matter how much she waited, I didn't say anything.

She turned to face Soul. "Where's Kid?"

"Kid?" I rose an eyebrow. "You know Kid?"

Her hips dropped and she folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah, you know him?"

I nodded. "I stayed at his last night."

Soul threw the back of his hand over his mouth to hold in his laughter. Trying his hardest as he watched Kim's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Yeah right." She huffed, "like you could score with a guy like that."

I turned to Soul in confusion, "score?"

"Yeah," Soul smiled widely, throwing his arm around me. "This is Kid's girlfriend."

Once again I faced him in confusion, "girlfriend?"

"Right!" She laughed. "Like I'd believe that."

Now I was facing her. "Why not?"

"Because you look like a dog."

Soul was now standing a few feet away from the both of us. Standing clear with others as a few more began to gather round.

"I look like a dog?" I questioned staring down at my overly large shirt with boxer shorts beneath. "But I'm covering up more than you are."

"Shots fired!" Someone shouted from the crowd, causing more people to gather.

Slowly she stepped closer, causing me to step back towards the river, feeling exposed as I felt it's presence only a foot behind me.

"Yeah, but there's a difference between me and you." Her eyebrows narrowed, "at least I'm actually pretty."

In that moment I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. Only realising after that it made her more angry, and continue to grow closer.

**Death the Kid**

I tried my hardest to push myself through the crowd, but no matter how hard I pushed, it seemed as if the gathering of people had grown thicker, making it harder to move over the bridge.

"Kid!" Someone called out to me. "Your bird's in a fight!"

Quickly I dove away from the bridge, standing on the other side of the river, where I saw both Maka and Kim. Kim continuously forcing Maka to back up closer to the river.

I couldn't hear anything. The music was blaring and the voices of the people around me were just far too much to bare. I had to get closer, but I didn't know how.

"What the hell did you just call me?"

But it was too late.

**Maka**

Her hands were shoved against my shoulders, forcing me to slip and tumble over the bank of the river.

I watched as I fell away from both her and the crowd of people around us. And as I turned my head to see the expressions of laughter people held on their faces, I saw Kid standing in utter fear on the edge of the river.

Until the water was what took him from me and the shrill of screams was all I heard.

**Death the Kid**

"Run!"

Screams were everywhere. People running from every direction around me as the sound of snarling came from the bushes on the other side of the river.

"Kid!" Soul darted across the bridge to my side. "We have to get out of here!"

"Are you crazy?" I yelled. "She's still in there!"

I searched the surface of the river, but all that was there were the ripples of non existent movement that were now quickly fading down the stream.

The snarling got louder, and the field as well as the bridge was growing deserted. But all I could think about how she hadn't rose to the surface of the river.

"Screw this!" I exclaimed. "I'm going in!"

Quickly I stripped off my jacket and tossed it onto the ground behind me. Throwing it onto the surface of the ice, as I dived in.

Soul cried for me, but all I could hear was the muffled sounds of his voice against the splashing of the river.

The water clouded up my eyesight as I kicked myself down deeper, eagerly turning my head from left to right in search of the green eyed girl.

I couldn't see anything other than water, and nothing but the ground. But I swore to myself that I wouldn't stop looking, so I kicked myself deeper towards the river floor.

"Kid!" Soul remained to stand on the edge of the bank, waiting for my return.

My lungs were growing tired, and I could feel the air being sucked away from inside me. And it was aching badly with every second I remained beneath the surface of the water.

Maka was still no where to be seen.

"Ki-" Soul froze.

I was forced to the surface of the water, the cold stinging at my entire body as I jumped back towards the bank, feeling the pressure of the air try to rip me from the outside.

"Kid..." Soul said slowly. "Don't move a muscle..."

My eyes were blurred, but on the other side of the river, stood a large dog. And it seemed that with every second my eyes remained blurred, it got bigger.

I held my breath. "What the hell is that..."

I could feel the bank of the river against my back, the mud clinging to my shirt and stinging the skin beneath my clothes.

"It's a wolf."

It's eyes were piercing black and it's fur was dark and dirty. And I knew for a fact, that it was not happy with our presence.

Soul proceeded to whisper. "Kid, we need to leave."  
"No." I snapped. "I'm not leaving Maka."

"Where the hell is she?"

My heart was thrashing fast. "I don't know, I couldn't see her in there."

He bit his lip. "Shit."

The wolf snapped, it's growling teeth shimmered as it snarled in my direction. Watching me with every breath I never took. It's eyes fixated on my very existence as if I were the only thing it wanted.

"Kid..."

"Shut up Soul."

My heart was thundering from inside me, echoing loudly as it hammered against my ribs again and again, and I could beyond tell - that the animal before me could hear every sound it created.

The water bobbed around me, pulling at my waist as I tried my hardest to grip at the bank. But as the surface of the water tugged and pulled at my helpless body, it forced me to slip deeper into the river.

_ Crap!_

And the worst thing was...

As soon as I moved.

It did too.

"Kid!"

It leapt from the edge of the river, its jaw wide open with it's shredding teeth, ready to attack at my body. And I couldn't move.

**Maka**

I threw myself above the surface of the water, throwing myself in front of him. Shielding his body with my own as the wolf inched closer.

I was prepared to throw myself at it if I had to.

I could hear it's thoughts of torture and destruction, growing louder with every second it continued with the desire to rip apart Kid's body.

But due to my sudden presence - it stopped.

It leaned closer towards me, growling as it's eyes fixated themselves with my own.

Which forced the animal inside me grow closer towards it, pulling me deeper into the river as it snarled and snapped towards my body.

I gritted my teeth. "You won't dare, touch him."

Then on a sudden command - it stepped away.


End file.
